\ \ 







LEE'S DISPATCHES 

LnpiihlislieLl Ix-ttcrs 

General Hubert 1^ Lee, CS.A. 

to 

JclVcrson Davis aiul the War Department of 

The Confederate States of America 

1862 65 



From tlic IVivatc Collection of 

W^ MHKKLi:^ JONES DE RENNH 

of Wormsloc, Georgia 

Edited with an Introduction by 

DOUGLAS SOLTHALL FRliEMAN 



G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
Nf'W YORK AND I ONDON 






Copyright, 191s 

BY 

WYMBERLEY JONES DE RENNE 



Tlbe Iknicfeerbocfter iprcaa, "Hew lorft 

MAY 25 1915 

©CI.A401119 



y 



INTRODUCTION 

The passage of years and the death of his com- 
rades-in-arms have increased rather than diminished 
the fame of General Robert E. Lee as a military 
commander. Detractors and paneg^-rists alike are 
dead. The careless overstatements of partisans 
have given place to the cool analysis of impartial 
investigators; rigid comparisons of his strategy and 
tactics with those of other great captains have assured 
him a place higher than if somewhat different from 
that assigned him by his contemporaries. 

The publication and study of the Official Records 
of the Union and Confederate Armies have unques- 
tionably been the chief reasons for this more general 
recognition of Lee's military genius. Prior to the ap- 
pearance of the Records, his fame rested on the 
unreliable testimony of such foreign critics as the 
Comte de Paris and upon the more friendly, though 
scarcely more accurate statements of lieutenants 
who wrote largely from memory and inevitably fell 
into errors more or less serious. But with the com- 
pletion of the Records, Lee's campaigns have been 
scrutinized in the calm light of indisputable evidence. 
Documents unknown have been located, reports 
and correspondence that his early biographers 
scarcely thought to exist have been given to the world. 

ill 



iv Lee's Dispatches 

And while it cannot be said that the Records have 
ever been exhausted or even adequately handled 
by any critic of Lee's military actions, they have 
at least fixed his fame and have given to recent 
critiques — Alexander's for instance — a perspective 
and a precision lacking in earlier works. 

It is a pleasure for a Southern student to be able 
to make this statement of the worth of the Records 
in establishing the lasting reputation of one who is, 
in every sense, the popular idol of many million 
Southerners. It is an equal pleasure to attest the 
high standard of accuracy set by this monumental 
publication. The Records have, of course, been 
condemned by many writers as the embodiment of 
everything unscholarly and unscientific in historical 
documents and they undoubtedly suffer from a rigid 
arrangement that separates, sometimes by volumes, 
related papers of interest and importance. The 
Records suffer also from an index which is the despair 
of beginners. But with all these faults, and others 
that might be named, the Records are surprisingly 
accurate and surpassingly complete. A comparison 
of the reprints of General Lee's reports in the Records 
with the letter-book copies from which the printed text 
was prepared, shows good judgment in selection and 
the most painstaking care in transcription. Where 
letters of importance were omitted, their content 
was misleading or obscure; where errors are made, 
they are generally to be attributed to originals that 
are often lacking in clearness. Further comparison 
of the Records with the letter-book of President 
Jefferson Davis and with miscellaneous papers of 



Introduction v 

the Southern Historical Society confirm the editor's 
bcHef in the general accuracy of the Records. 

This much has been said in behalf of this great 
store-house of war history not only because it is 
praise well merited but because the contents and 
the omissions of the Records explain the reasons for 
the publication of this volume of correspondence. 
In the nature of tilings, the compilers of the Records 
could not hope to collect all documents relating to 
the most active military officer of the Confederate 
army. There are many breaks and omissions in 
the published correspondence of General Lee, — 
some of them consequential, some of them trifling. • 
In the case of a less renowned officer, or one whose 
campaigns were not so critically studied in the mili- 
tar>' schools of the world, the omission of a few hun- 
dred telegrams or letters would not be important. 
But in the case of General Lee, whose ever>' written 
line was a lesson in war, the world wants all the 
correspondence of himself and of his secretaries. 

It is for this reason, among others, that this col- 
lection of General Ixc's unpublished correspondence 
with President Jefferson Davis and with the War 
Department of the Confederate States is presented 
to the public. Some of the letters broaden our view 
of Lee's strategy' and throw significant light on dis- 

' In thi:; ri>r.- - must be can* nc 

cU-<wMficati«>n ir- . which cvcr^" *ti 

f' r. M to contend — the arbitrary distinction between ": -vi 

" cwrr«pondencc." One may search in \*ain throujich ihc o;.. ,- — ;;oe 
for a desired letter—only to find it placed with the reports. On the other 
hand, many min^r reports are treated as t>^>rrespr>ndence and arc placed in 
dtffercat volume* from hundreds "f similar <!i«patches. 



vi Lee's Dispatches 

puted movements; the whole, in the editor's judg- 
ment, deserves pubHcation as it complements, fills 
out and, at the same time, epitomizes the many 
dispatches and reports scattered through the bulky 
volumes of the Records. 

To our present information of General Lee's plans 
and campaigns these dispatches make new additions 
in the following respects: 

1 . They show that when plans were under consid- 
eration for the defence of Richmond in 1862, it was 
proposed to strengthen the army of General Jack- 
son in the Valley of Virginia, to wage a vigorous 
offensive campaign against the North and, if need 
be, to abandon the Confederate capital. While the 
significance of the letter disclosing these facts is ex- 
plained at some length in the notes (see infra, No. 2), 
its importance will at once be apparent to those who 
have believed that the adopted strategy of the cam- 
paign from Mechanicsville to Harrison's Landing was 
the only course proposed in Confederate councils. 
The new dispatch printed in this collection must at 
least be accepted as proof that the plan ultimately 
adopted was an alternative maturely considered. 
Doubtful and obscure references would indicate that 
General Whiting may have been the author of the 
bold proposal to strengthen Jackson while Lee held 
McClellan from Richmond. ' 

2. This correspondence shows that the Second 
Manassas campaign was undertaken by General 
Lee as a defensive measure, the purpose of which 

» See the biographical sketch of Whiting in Confederate Military History 
(cited throughout as C. M. H.), 4, 352 ff. 



% 



Introduction vii 

was to throw back the Federals beyond the Rappa- 
hannock Hne and to open the way for more important 
otTensive operations. But as tlie latter were con- 
tingent upon reinforcements and supplies which were 
not forthcoming, the plan, whatever may have been its 
details, was not carried out in its fulness. Lee's lucid 
statement of his purposes in Dispatch No. 29 will 
repay careful study by those interested in his strategy. 

3. The dispatch in this collection on the Gettys- 
burg campaign (No. 60) may witli good reason be 
regarded as the most definite statement yet made 
of the Confederate commander's calm view of the 
unfortunate march into Pennsylvania. General I^ee 
did not avail himself of privileged confidential cor- 
respondence to place on others the blame that 
undoubtedly was theirs but, with his habitual magna- 
nimity, chose to assume the responsibility as on the 
battlefield. Incidentally, this dispatch would seem 
to contradict some of General Longstreet's conclu- 
sions as to Lee's alleged admissions of error regarding 
his movements at Gettysburg. These points are 
more fully discussed in the notes. 

4. This correspondence dates back the conscious 
acceptance of defensive tactics on the part of General 
I>oe to the time when he renewed his Rapidan line 
after the retiun from Pennsylvania. At that early 
date, it would appear from his correspondence, he 
realized that his only hope lay in meeting the Federals 
on the ground he chose within the territory which the 
Rapidan made his natural frontier, once the Potomac 
was croj;scd. The reference on this point is brief 
but direct (No. 61). 



viii Lee's Dispatches 

5. This correspondence is peculiarly rich in its 
contribution to the campaign from the Rapidan to 
the James and shows Lee's strategy from a somewhat 
different angle. Indeed, if historians have erred in 
giving him too great credit for his crossing of the 
James, they have failed to give General Grant credit 
for the mystifying tactics he pursued from Spottsyl- 
vania Court-House to Cold Harbor. This correspond- 
ence shows that the real direction of the "left flank" 
movement was, for some time, concealed from the 
Confederate commander. Lee knew, of course, after 
the first uncertainty in March, 1864 (Dispatch No. 
80), that Grant's objective was Richmond, but more 
than once he was in doubt whether Grant would 
continue his pressure on the Confederate right or 
move along the line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg 
and Potomac Railroad. With this doubt in his 
mind defensive tactics which high critics have de- 
clared faultless seem all the more remarkable. Lee's 
whole plan of campaign during this period, based on 
the hope of reinforcements, is more adequately 
outlined in this correspondence than in the Official 
Records or in any of Lee's biographies. 

6. The movement of Grant's army across the 
James River, June 14, 1864, is here presented in a 
manner much more creditable to both the Confeder- 
ate and the Northern commanders than in current 
versions and known documents. To the editor this 
movement has always seemed one of the most mis- 
understood as well as one of the most important in 
the history of the war in Virginia. Studying every 
movement of the enemy and accustomed by long 



Introduction ix 

campaigning to expect the use of large bodies of 
troops where he was least able to resist them, General 
Lee must have realized for days before it occurred 
that the crossing of the James and the investment of 
Richmond from the south were at least as probable 
as the continuance of such frontal assaults from the 
north and northeast as those at Cold Harbor. Lee 
must, indeed, have regarded the adoption of such a 
course as more than probable and for several reasons. 
Richmond was more strongly fortified on the north 
tlian on the south side of the James; the country 
above the river was more broken and included that 
stretch of the Chickahominy which had been a death- 
trap to McClellan in 1862; communications t*ia the 
James were much easier and much less liable to 
interruption than the lines from Fredericksburg or 
from West Point; Grant's superior force made it 
expedient that he draw out Lee's army on a long line 
such as was offered on the south side of the James 
rather than to permit his antagonist to continue 
those inner line tactics which cost the lives of so 
many thousand Federals from the Rapidan to Cold 
Harbor. The communications which might be cut 
from the south were vital to the Confederates. All 
of this, though here argued a priori, must have been 
so obvious in 1864 that it is scarcely creditable to 
General Lee's known ability to deny that it was taken 
into account by him. The letters now made public 
settle the question beyond doubt and show that while 
Lee was not certain when Grant would cross the 
James and could not, in consequence, strip the north- 
em defences until he was sure his opponent had 



X Lee's Dispatches 

moved, he fiilly expected what happened. The 
credit due General Grant for the brilUancy with which 
he executed this move is not lessened by the fact 
that it was foreseen. Rather it would seem that 
Grant deserves more praise for his ability to throw 
his advance corps across the river and to pause only 
on the outskirts of Petersburg, when it is understood 
that General Lee, anticipating such a course, could 
not hazard his own position in the face of Federal 
cavalry or move troops in time to check it. Viewed 
in this light, then, the new dispatches of June 14-16 
may be said to exculpate General Lee from blame 
for inactivity while increasing the reputation of 
General Grant for a brilliant transfer of base. 

7. These dispatches present the situation in the 
winter of 1864 and in the spring of 1865 much more 
lucidly than do the scattered reports and the brief 
correspondence in the Official Records. They show, 
in particular, how Lee's whole plan of holding Rich- 
mond was dependent upon troops that were not 
sent him and on supplies which were frequently 
cut off. Again and again during the dark winter 
of 1864-65, he pleaded with the Confederate author- 
ities in Richmond to improve the transportation, 
even the circuitous route via the Piedmont and Rich- 
mond and Danville railroads, in order that he might 
keep his men from starvation. More than once he 
turned from watching his aggressive opponent to 
explain how soap was needed for the army, how the 
Piedmont Railroad might be put in proper condition, 
how the conscription service might be improved and 
how detailed men might be brought back to the 



Introduction xi 

ranks. One cannot read these dispatches without 
feeHng regret that a genius so great should have been 
forced to devote itself to matters of administration 
which should be the first care of the bureau heads. 
Step by step, in these dispatches, the conditions 
that made the evacuation of the Richmond line a 
necessity are candidly explained by General Lx^e. 
The whole forms a most interesting chapter. 

Not to mention other items of almost equal interest, 
it is hoped that this correspondence, by its concise- 
ness and common tenor, will give the student a new 
and inspiring view of General Lee as a great com- 
mander. Certain conclusions will, we believe, be 
forced upon the reader who studies the dispatches 
which General Lee day by day forwarded the head of 
the Confederate government. Through them nms 
the same spirit, the same courage, the same considera- 
tion for the sensibilities of others. Whether telling 
of the first vnctor}- won or of the last line abandoned, 
they show the fixed mind and the intrepid fidelity of 
one whom neither adversity nor success could shake. 

They show, for example, that relations between 
General Lee and President Davis never reached that 
degree of restraint that rendered frank confidence 
and full co-operation impossible. Some writers, with 
little knowledge of General Lee or in forgctfulness 
of his character, have intimated the contrary, and 
among sur\'iving officers of the Army of Northern 
Virginia there has long been the tradition that rela- 
tions between their commander and the President 
more than once were on the verge of nipture. Some 
have dated their alleged misunderstanding as far 



xii Lee's Dispatches 

back as Fredericksburg, some pretend to trace it 
from the Pennsylvania campaign, others think it 
began in the summer of 1864. In none of these new 
letters — where such feeling would appear, if ever — 
and in none of the correspondence heretofore pub- 
lished, is there the least evidence of such strained 
relations as have been suggested. Possible misun- 
derstandings there may have been; a serious break 
there was not and could not have been between two 
men, both of them patriots, both fully conscious of 
the dire results of friction. It is true that from 1 863 
to the end of this correspondence that friendship, 
one may almost say love, which marks earlier letters 
is less emphasized; but if this was due to any other 
cause than the pressure of public burdens, that 
cause does not appear. No man other than a dis- 
sembling hypocrite — and of that not even his many 
enemies accused Mr. Davis — could have written 
such a letter as that in which the President urged 
on General Lee the chief command of the army in 
1865; no man could have replied as did General Lee 
to one in whom he did not have full confidence. As 
it is not probable that new correspondence of impor- 
tance between General Lee and Mr. Davis is now 
in existence unpublished, it may safely be concluded 
that until the end there was full co-operation and 
absolute frankness between them, unbroken even 
by the officious though patriotic and well-meant 
activity of General Bragg in 1864. 

Again, these letters make it plain that in his rela- 
tions with his subordinates, General Lee was slow 
to blame and ready to applaud but did not hesitate 



Introduction xiii 

frankly to state his opinions when properly required 
to do so, and would not, in any circumstances, recom- 
mend men whom he deemed unworthy, incapable 
or inexperienced. This is a side of the great com- 
mander which could easily be sketched from general 
knowledge of his character, but a side regarding 
which, as all students know, little specific informa- 
tion is to be had. General Lee was most unwilling 
after the war to discuss the demerits of his lieutenants 
and, as in the case of General Jubal A. Early in 
1864-65, saved their fetlinj^'s where possible. But 
from this correspondence which, as we shall presently 
show, it seems probable Mr. Davis kept separate 
from his general files, General Lee will appear as 
frankness itself in expressing his opinion of a man 
whose appointment to a post might be disastrous 
to the cause of the Confederacy. It is with no small 
regret that these judgments of General Lee's subor- 
dinates, even when expressed by himself, have been 
included in this collection. Written as they were 
of patriotic men who did their honest best, and 
written, too, by the one man whose opinion of mili- 
tary worth has been regarded as absolutely final in 
the South, some of these criticisms must strike deep 
even now. But as reflecting the character of a man 
who put duty above friendship, thesc^ letters have 
seemed to us an essential part of the correspondence. 
General Lee's uncertainty as to the merits of General 
John B. Hood as successor to General Joseph E. 
Johnston (infra, Nos. 158 and 159) is t>T)ical of the 
letters that illustrate that side of his character. The 
criticism is kindly in tone and sympathetic in spirit 



xiv Lee's Dispatches 

but it makes it plain that General Lee regarded the 
valorous Texan as a doubtful choice for the command 
of a great army. This message was not sent on 
General Lee's own motion but in response to the 
President's insistent request, nay, order, for an opin- 
ion. We may fancy with what regret General Lee 
wrote his criticism of one whose valor he had himself 
rewarded, one whose service none was more willing 
than he to attest. Yet we cannot but regret that 
Mr. Davis acted on his own opinion of General Hood 
rather than on the judgment of one who knew Hood 
and had only his country and his conscience to serve 
by speaking frankly from his knowledge. 

Equally pointed is General Lee's unwillingness to 
recommend the promotion of his chief-of-artillery, 
Brigadier-General W. N. Pendleton. By every tie, 
the commander was bound to his courageous cannon- 
eer. Pendleton came from Lexington and was a 
friend of that hero whom Lee held as first among his 
corps commanders ; he was a minister of that church 
of which General Lee was a devout member; he had 
shown his courage on every field since as captain of 
a battery he told his soldiers at First Manassas (so 
the story goes) to "give *em hell, boys, — and God 
have mercy on their souls." But because he could 
not see that General Pendleton had shown his capa- 
city for a higher position. General Lee was unwilling 
to recommend his promotion on other grounds. It 
was the same spirit that made him refuse to take his 
youngest son from the ranks or to recommend the 
elevation of his other sons or of his nephew, — the 
same spirit, differently expressed, that made him 



Introduction xv 

select and promote the corps commanders who 
carried out his plans. For if Lee would not raise 
men whose ability he questioned, he never hesitated 
and seldom erred in giving new stars to his worthy 
lieutenants. 

To continue our general analysis of this correspond- 
ence, it shows that at no time during the war did 
General Lee predict the speedy triumph of Con- 
federate arms or even the ultimate success of the 
South, and that from 1864 the tone of his correspond- 
ence while never pessimistic, fully anticipated the 
final outcome. Strangely enough, in the various 
biographies of General Lee, little is said of his views 
as to the issue of the war. I lis opinions, whatever 
they were, he seems to have kept to himself and he 
never permitted himself, in communications with 
Mr. Davis, to indulge in prcxiictions of independence 
achieved. In some of his addresses to the army one 
reads, as is to be expected, inspiring appeals for 
valor that cannot be defeated, and in some of his 
letters to Mr. Davis, notably in those preceding the 
invasion of Maryland in 1862, there are hopeful 
references to European recognition. But these apart, 
his expressions are always guarded and his forecasts 
are never roseate. Whether this meant that he 
merely refrained from arousing hopes that might be 
shattered or whether he really believed the struggle 
hopeless cannot be determined in the light of present 
information. If the former were the case, his atti- 
tude was a credit to his judgment, if the latter, an 
added proof of his unfailing courage. In either event 
it must be remembered that he had lived in the North 



xvi Lee's Dispatches 

and West, was familiar with the resources of those 
who opposed him, knew the temper of the Federals 
and was for these reasons, if for no others, less liable 
to hasty and over-enthusiastic conclusions than some 
of his less informed or more provincial colleagues. 
Few men could have appreciated more fully than he 
the enormous task confronting the Southern armies; 
few had minds better equipped to analyze that task. 

In these letters will be found frequent expressions 
of cautious forebodings and of frank warning. It 
will be noted that General Lee never discredited the 
valor of his army or voiced the fear that in even en- 
counter his men could ever be worsted. His appre- 
hensions were always in other directions, — could his 
men be reinforced and fed that they might fight? 
Lesser fears there were, — that needed ammunition 
might not be forthcoming, that the army mounts 
might not be supported, that desertions might weaken 
him and that recruits might not be sent forward. 
But these were all subordinate to the daily dread of 
starvation in the ranks, of losses that could not be 
made good. It will be noted that the plainest of 
his early forecasts as to the defeat of his army is 
in a complaint that supplies are not at hand (No. 
135). As the campaign of that year progressed and 
as his army was more and more impoverished, the 
tenor of his correspondence is never carping or critical 
but it is at no time cheerful. Clearly and unshadowed 
he saw Appomattox from Petersburg. 

Altogether apart from their value to the historian 
of the war, it is hoped that these letters will be of 
even greater interest to the general reader in exempli- 



Introduction xvii 

(ying the character of one who bore success with 
humility and faihire with fortitude. The careful 
student of General Lee's career may, of course, get 
the same picture of the man from the hundreds of 
letters scattered through the ponderous volumes of 
the Official Records; but the hasty reader, it is hoped, 
^nll see the same man as fully and as adequately 
from the letters printed in this volume, — letters that 
begin immediately after he assumed command of the 
Army of Northern Virginia and end only when com- 
munications with Mr. Davis were being severed 
just before the evacuation of Richmond. One may 
look over the General's shoulder, so to speak, and 
see him in these pages as he writes with his own hand 
to Mr. Davis of the great struggles of his career; 
one may know something from these reports of the 
soul that gave God the glory for the Seven Days' 
Fight; one may see with what confidence in his 
Maker and his men he wrote of Second Manassas, 
of Sharpsburg, of Fredericksburg and of Chancellors- 
ville; one may appreciate the courage that accepted 
the responsibility for Gettysburg and marched with 
spirit unafraid from the victorious trenches of Cold 
Harbor to the blood-stained works of Petersburg; 
one may bid farewell to him as he makes ready for 
the last journey to Appomattox and one may end 
the letters with the belief that Lee the soldier was 
great but that Lee the man and Christian was greater 
by far. 

The thirty-four months covered by this correspond- 
ence subjected the character of Lee to ever>' test by 
which the heart of man may be tried. The substitute 



xviii Lee's Dispatches 

commander of a shattered army, the new hope of 
a heart-stirred nation, the unbeaten leader of an 
un vanquished host, the parent bereft of a beloved 
daughter, the anxious father of a captured, wounded, 
son, the trustee of a confiscated estate, the idol of 
the South, the one captain whose nod would have 
made him dictator, the general of the best army 
America had ever seen, the trusted head of dwindling 
regiments and the last hope of an overthrown people, 
— all these was General Lee from June 2, 1862, to 
April I, 1865, the period covered by this correspond- 
ence. During these brief months, he attained and 
rounded a cycle that occupied Napoleon from Areola 
to Waterloo and he tasted much of the sweet and most 
of the bitter that fell to Frederick the Great during 
his long years of warfare. And from it Lee emerged 
aged and worn, already in the shadow of the grave, 
but a stronger, nobler man than when he consecrated 
his sword to the service of Virginia and assimied 
command of her little army. His St. Helena at 
Lexington was more glorious than his Austerlitz 
at Chancellorsville. 

Familiar as are the incidents of General Lee's 
campaign to all who will read this volume, and well- 
known as are the movements he chronicles in his 
letters, it would be superfluous, if not indeed presump- 
tuous to review here the activities of which he writes 
to Mr. Davis. The tale of every battle has been 
told and every march has been made by such an army 
of historians and biographers that reiteration is worse 
than tiresome. But the editor may perhaps be 
pardoned if he attempts in a few brief paragraphs 



IiUrDiluction xix 

to interpret those campaigns not in their military 
bearing and not in their vaUie as important lessons 
in the art of war but rather in their relation to General 
Lee's character. We read of a Lincoln softened by 
the reports of heroism and of sacrifice: may we not 
learn of a Lee raised to greater heights of nobility 
by the same things? This aspect of his career has 
been too much neglected, too much taken for granted. 
Writers have found him so splendid a figure when he 
assumed command that they have not thought that 
his knighthood could be further exalted by the 
hardships, the stnigglcs and the anguish of the war. 
His biographers, in a word, have viewed General 
Lee as a finished, rounded man before the war began. 
Yet as one looks at the pictures of Lee taken from 
the time of the Harper's Ferry raid to his return to 
Richmond in 1865, one can see the outward evidences 
of an inward change. Noble he was; nobler he 
became. The sufferings he endured were worth all 
they cost him in the example they gave the South 
of fortitude in disaster and courage in defeat. 

General Lee first appears in this correspondence as 
the untried and untrustcd commander of an ex- 
hausted army. The first year of the war had not 
sustained the promise he gave when first called to 
lead the armies of Virginia. Fortune had not favored 
him, opportunity had not come to him. The West- 
em Virginia campaign through no fault of his own 
had brought no glory and no important results; his 
skilful plans for the defence of Charleston had not 
yet paid him tribute by baffling the besieger; his ser- 
vices as military' adviser to the President were not of 



XX Lee's Dispatches 

a character to make him a popular figure. Johnston 
had shown his mettle; Beauregard had captured 
Sumter and had fought at Manassas; the man whom 
President Davis appointed to succeed the former had 
the record of neither. The newspapers criticised 
the selection and the subordinate officers, with that 
freedom of expression and of thought so characteristic 
of the Southern armies, murmured against the coming 
of this "staff" officer. 

Nor was the army of which he took command of a 
spirit calculated to encourage its new head. It had 
kept McClellan from capturing Richmond by the bat- 
tle of Seven Pines but it had been able to do nothing 
more. Camped amid marshes and swamps during 
a most unfavorable season, those commands which 
had not been riddled by bullets had been shattered 
by disease. The men were poorly equipped, many 
of them were almost untrained; few of them had 
learned the importance of rigid discipline or had for- 
gotten their traditions of personal independence. 
The line-officers, chosen in large measure by the 
men and appointed by the governors of the States, 
were in many instances grossly incompetent. A new 
general of small repute in command of a badly 
organized, broken army, driven to the very walls of 
its capital by an enemy stronger in numbers and 
admirably svipplied, — the situation could scarcely 
have seemed worse. But in this crisis neither 
General Lee's acts nor his letters bespeak the least 
uneasiness or lack of confidence. One finds in him 
none of the bluster of Burnside, none of the petulant 
anxiety of McClellan. If he knew himself unwel- 



Introduction xxi 

come and not trusted, he displayed no evidence of 
resentment and assumed no airs of superiority. Wry 
quietly he took conunand, ver>' vigorously he exer- 
cised it. While waiting for reinforcements and 
while discussing with President Davis the wisdom 
of an invasion of the North by General Jackson, 
Lee went busily to work reorganizing the men at his 
disposal. And when it had been decided to bring 
General Jackson from the Valley of Virginia and to 
begin an offensive campaign, all his energies were 
devoted to the immediate strengthening of his 
command. 

It has long been demonstrated that General Lee 
was as daring as any leader of his age and the old 
view of contemporary critics that he appeared best 
on the defensive has been disproved by a more care- 
ful study of his counterstrokes. But it has never 
been made sufficiently plain that his aggressive 
qualities were exhil)ited during his first great cam- 
paign as strikingly as at Second Manassas or at 
Chancellorsvillc. Not less the preliminaries than 
the details of the Seven Days' Fight showed him will- 
ing to hazard everything in calm reliance upon the 
ability of his men to execute his plans. A cautious 
commander would not have dared to change his 
organization with the enemy in his front: Lee pro- 
ceeded with the utmost assurance to put new line- 
officers in command and to give the army a discipline 
it had never known lx>fore. He sent n 
through Richmond with bands playing, he ex.. . . -1 
his line to the ver>' limit. He was as confident as 
though he had Ix^n preparing for a siege behind 



xxii Lee's Dispatches 

impregnable works. Then, when Jackson had taken 
position on Lee's left and McClellan at length began 
to stir, Lee sprang at his opponent's throat with 
every regiment he had. In but little more than a 
week the enveloping chain of blue had been shattered 
and the broken links were lying not on the Chicka- 
hominy but on the James. With the support he 
might reasonably have expected from lieutenants 
who never failed him afterwards, Lee might have 
kept McClellan from reaching Malvern Hill and 
certainly from holding it. As it was, the quiet ' ' staff ' * 
officer had amazed his subordinates and had caught 
the eye of the world by a campaign which had not 
been equalled since Napoleon was in his prime. A 
relieved nation breathed freely again and heaped 
praise and honors upon the commander who had 
been viewed with coldness if not with suspicion a 
brief month before. 

At the end of May a poor third in popular esteem 
to Johnston and to Beauregard, at the end of June 
hailed as a hero, — one can imagine what the effect 
would have been on a man less stable than Lee. 
Napoleon would have made it — as at the end of the 
Italian campaign — the occasion for a political up- 
heaval, raising him to the first place in power as in 
repute; Marlborough would have based upon the 
victory new and unreasoning demands for prefer- 
ment. Lesser men, the Wallensteins and Popes of 
history, would have been exalted by it beyond the 
hope of restored usefulness in later campaigns. Lee 
gave the glory to God and devoted his energies not 
to the enjoyment of a triumph or to a quest for 



Introduction xxiii 

distinction, but to the study of his problems and the 
improvement of his forces. In his correspondence 
with the Confcilerate executive, in the dispatches 
printetl here and in those hasty, tender missives to 
his loved ones, there is not an exultant echo of 
the ego and scarcely a personal reference to his 
victories. 

Second Manassas tried him in much the same way, 
>\4th the added factor of a lieutenant whose splendid 
obedience to orders — if not, indeed, whose brilliant 
suggestion of a daring movement, — turned a doubtful 
field into a famous victory. Lee's subordinates must 
at once have seen, as the public speedily saw, that 
Jackson's dash to Manassas was the secret of the 
crushing defeat administered Pope. There was 
speculation then, as there has been ever since, as 
to whether Jackson or Lee proposed that amazing 
flank advance which left the army exposed to possible 
destruction. But if he knew of this speculation, 
General Lee neither showed nor felt the slightest 
jealousy of his powerful "right ami." His reports 
do full credit to Jackson and his relations with that 
wonderful captain of men were merely strengthened 
by this shining example of successful co-operation. 
Only between Nelson and Collingwood was there 
ever closer personal friendship than between these 
two men whose stars might have battled for first 
place in the Southern sky. And if it seem trivial 
to dwell on the noble comradeship between Lee and 
Jackson, this utter elimination of self, let the reader 
but scan a single page of that never-ending contro- 
versy among Federal commanders and find in the 



xxiv Lee's Dispatches 

contrast one potent reason for the strength of the 
Army of Northern Virginia. 

The next great campaign was, with the possible 
exception of Gettysburg, the severest test upon the 
character of Lee. He did not assume the offensive 
and march into Maryland in obedience to orders he 
received from the President. He proposed the 
Antietam campaign himself, regarded the time as 
favorable and assumed the responsibility that was 
involved in this effort at demonstrating to neutral 
Maryland and to skeptical Europe the aggressive 
power of Southern arms. Even remembering that 
he neither contemplated nor planned. more than an 
impressive demonstration, it is easy to imagine the 
effect upon a man of less heroic proportions. Rich- 
mond was no longer in danger. The Federals' main 
army had been driven back across the Potomac. 
The gray regiments were to march into "the enemy's 
country" — the very words inspired the army to a 
frenzy of patriotism. But assiuning the offensive 
did not unbalance the quiet commander who had 
met McClellan and routed him in a week and had 
then sent the boastful Pope galloping back to his 
fortifications. Lee cautioned Mr. Davis not to 
expect too much, addressed the people of Maryland 
with tact and spirit and restraining by the most 
peremptory orders the appetite of soldiers who 
yearned for the flesh-pots of a country that had never 
seen a battle. Only when orders were captured and 
he found himself almost trapped did he show the 
spirit of the soldier to whom defeat is second only 
to death. They say he embraced that hotspur Hill 



Introduction xxv 

when the latter threw his avenging divisions where 
the battle waxed hardest; and when he met his corps 
commanders in the road the night after the battle 
and refused to accept their advice to retire — how 
graphically Stephen D. Lee told the story — he was 
not less daring and insistent than at Second Manas- 
sas or at Chancellorsville. But in his letters and 
reports there is the same imperturbable composure, 
no bitterness at the outcome, no censures on subor- 
dinates, only regret that so many had fallen and that 
so much work remained for those who survivcil. 

Fredericksburg, his next campaign, was the picturc- 
bcK^k battle of the war. Mcissonier or Edouard 
Detaille would have gloried in its gray dawn, its 
assaults, its repulses, its carnage. Lee had laid his 
trap as the shrewd hunter prepares for the wary game. 
He did not know Burnsiile as he knew McClellan 
but he put before that ambitious commander a bait 
he could not resist. To cross the river, to take the 
town and then to move against fortifications that 
seemed neither strong nor well-manned appeared 
easy — from the other side of the Rappahannock. 
Lee waited for his prey with delil)eration he seldom 
showed — the deliberation of Cold Harbor — and when 
all was ready he sprang the trap. He knew how 
the steel would bite, he knew how strong was the 
spring and that day, it is safe to say, Lee the con- 
queror was more nearly dominant than at any other 
time. Officers who galloped Ix^hind him through 
the frost of that Decemlx^r morning remember how 
incisively he gave his orders, how for once he showed 
himself nettled at the mistake of a staff-officer and 



xxvi Lee's Dispatches 

how Napoleon-like he seemed when he inquired the 
name of a young, death-dealing artillerist and pro- 
moted him at once. It was, too, at Fredericksburg 
that he gave utterance to the only phrase ever known 
to have escaped his lips in exultation over victory. 
He was standing on the hill that still bears his name 
and was watching through his field-glasses the fine 
Federal regiments break themselves against his line. 
His plan was succeeding; the invaders of his native 
State were being driven back. "It is well war is so 
terrible," he said, "or we would grow too fond of it." 
In the one sentence is the character of the man! 

The correspondence printed in this volume is 
barren of reference to Fredericksburg — the victory 
was so prompt and so decisive that confidential 
communications were unnecessary — but the Official 
Records are crowded with his formal dispatches and 
reports. In all of these there is the same calm man- 
liness and the same humble gratitude. Victories 
such as no American had achieved in a year had only 
sobered him and prostrated him the more before 
his God. Indeed, if one turns from public to private 
correspondence and reads his heart in those tender 
letters he wrote home that winter, one sees Lee more 
on his knees than in his saddle. 

He entered upon the year 1863 with a series of 
victories unbroken from the time he had taken com- 
mand in front of Richmond and with an army the 
morale of which had never been so high. He ended 
the year with the greatest opportunity of his career 
lost through the blunders and worse of his subor- 
dinates — ended it with his own hope dwindling and 



Introduclion xxvii 

the spirit of his nation already ebbing. It was in 
every sense the most critical year of his military life 
— less disastrous than 1H64, less fraught with irre- 
trievable defeat than 1865 but more important than 
cither in that it made both years inevitable. If war 
and adversity could change the heart of a man, the 
stormy days of 186,^ would have broken his calm. 

Chancellorsville was the first important engage- 
ment of that year and was in line with what had gone 
before. It cost him Jackson — more valuable than 
any victory could have been — but it added to his 
fame. There was about that fight in the wilderness 
something sinister and demoralizing to his enemies, 
something fascinating even to-day (September, 19 14) 
when armies greater than those Lee ever dreamed of 
commanding are battling for the future of a continent. 
To the Federals Chancellorsville meant more than 
the defeats of 1861 or 1862. They had not been too 
hopeful of the raw regiments they had sent during 
the early days of the war to battle with men trained 
to the saddle and raised with a musket in their hands. 
But by 1863, the Federals had hoped that lessons 
learned in blood would Ix? remembered in bravery 
and that their troops would withstand the assaults 
of the Southern host. Instead, when they had 
clashed in the pines and underbrush and had drawn 
back for breath, the thunders broke at twilight and 
fresh troops, sprung as it seemed, from the ground, 
assailed them in flank and rear. No wonder Wash- 
ington became discoiu^aged when the reports stated 
that the first intimation the Federals had of Jackson's 
approach was the wild scamper across the quiet 



xxviii Lee's Dispatches 

camp of the rabbits driven from their shelters by 
the silent Confederates! Congressmen and editors 
began to ask if naught conld stop the "rebel" whose 
armies grew stronger with every battle. 

When plans for the invasion of Pennsylvania began, 
Lee's command was at its highest efficiency. De- 
pleted ranks had been filled with enthusiastic recruits ; 
deficiencies in arms and equipment had been sup- 
plied by capture and by the untiring effort of men 
like Gorgas; soldiers who had never tasted defeat 
scorned their enemies and believed themselves invin- 
cible when led by Lee. As rumor grew credible with 
preparations and as the hope of another forward 
movement settled into conviction, Lee's army was 
jubilant. The invavSion of Maryland had been but 
practice, — real work was to come now. There was 
to be an end of the wearying watch on the Rapidan ; 
they were to fight beyond the Potomac, to invade 
Pennsylvania, to capture the great cities of the East. 
"I reckon," wrote one humble private, as he told 
his wife that the advance had begun, "I reckon 
there will be the old scampering amongst" the Fe- 
derals "when our main army gets amongst them." 
Every soldier "reckoned" on the same "scampering" 
and had not the least doubt of the outcome. 

In General Lee's correspondence during those 
high days of hope there is to be observed no change 
in his usual calm, unless it be that it shows a fuller 
confidence than ever in the judgment and discretion 
of his subordinates. He approached the fatal field 
of Gettysburg just as he went into his earlier cam- 
paigns, without fear and without bravado. Willing 



Introilui tiuii xxix 

to trust the valor of his men and the courage of their 
leaders, he nevertheless realized that the issue was 
in the hands of the God of battles. 

When the fire died away and Pickett's survivors 
staggered back over the bodies of their slain com- 
rades, the whole world had changed for Lee and for 
the South. The first defeat had come, — for to him 
failure to win was always to lose, — the army that 
had believed itself invincible had been wrecked. 
If ever there had l)een a time in history when a de- 
feateil craven would have availed himself of others' 
errors to escape his ow^l responsibility, it was at 
Gettysburg. Yet Lee met Pickett with the frank 
acceptance of blame. If, again, there had ever been 
a campaign when merited reprimand of culpable 
lieutenants would have absolved the commander- 
in-chief, it was at Gettysburg. Yet Lee refused to 
criticise others and bravely bore the brunt. 

One may study all of General Lee's letters and 
reports of the Gettysburg campaign — including 
the important new item printed in this volume — 
and vn\\ find neither a whine nor a complaint. And 
his proposal to resign his command was founded not 
on pique but on patriotism: he honestly though 
mistakenly believed that the loss of prestige which 
he fancied he had suffered at Gettysburg would 
make another commander more useful and more 
influential than himself. To the credit of Jefferson 
Davis' judgment let it be said that he apparently 
never considered the removal of Lee or the willing 
acceptance of his resignation. Lee after Gettysburg 
was still Lee. Despite his generous acceptance of 



XXX Lee's Dispatches 

the responsibility for what happened at Gettysburg, 
General Lee doubtless knew the sentiment of the 
nation. It is in this light that the letter printed in 
this collection and bearing directly on this subject is 
of such prime importance. It is not confession and 
avoidance to his chief. It is not even a hint that 
while others are to blame, politics makes it better 
for him to be the victim. It is rather a deliberate 
acceptance, without carping or innuendo, of a course 
he believes to be right and politic only because right ! 
The months from the battle of Gettysburg to the 
opening of the campaign of 1 864 were unmarked by 
great battles in Virginia but were rendered burden- 
some by those vexing problems of military routine 
upon which the maintenance of a field-force depends. 
Both armies were exhausted by the titanic struggle 
in Pennsylvania and needed time to recuperate be- 
fore they could grapple again. Their commanders 
accordingly devoted themselves to reorganization, 
recruiting, re-enlisting and to strengthening their 
ordnance. The Federals, however, escaped the 
burden that almost crushed General Lee. They 
had but to call for supplies: the farms of the West 
and the manufactories of the East could furnish them 
in almost unlimited quantities. They had but to ask 
for more men : Congress was quick to devise bounties 
that would attract the alien where the native stood 
back. Lee pleaded both for men and for their sub- 
sistence: neither was forthcoming. Already the 
conscription laws "robbed the cradle and the grave" 
in the homely parlance of the South; and as for 
supplies, not all the tricks of the Treasury nor all 



Introduction xxxi 

the wiles of the tax collectors could procure them. 
One has but to read the insistent, the almost feverish 
appt^als of General Lee for men and provisions to 
realize that he knew the struggle was hopeless without 
them. 

There came with the campaign of 1864 in Virginia 
— Grant's "left-flank" movement — a few more op- 
portunities for Lee to display his generalship. He 
met the new Federal chieftain with all his force in 
Spottsylvania, he hurled him staggering from the 
bayonet-guarded line at Cold Harbor and he struck 
with his wonted skill at the Crater. But the star 
of his military fortune was declining. Even he 
could not vdn victories and overcome losses unless 
recruits and supplies were to be had. The Con- 
federate commissary had collapsed — utterly collapsed 
— the most fniitful granaries of the South were 
being captured one after another, the few who came 
to take the muskets of the many that fell were either 
boys from their school-books or poltroons from their 
discovered hiding-places. 

A man moulded in proportions less noble would 
have abused his inefficient colleagues and superiors 
or would have thrown up his commission in dudgeon. 
Lee did neither. He warned Mr. Davis, as his duty 
demanded, that he could not be responsible for the 
outcome unless his troops were reinforced and fed; 
but he accepted hardship as his fate and shared the 
starvation of his men. And when he might have 
resigned his post and been justified in the eyes of the 
people, he accepted in meekness and determination 
the high command Congress and the President con- 



xxxii Lee's Dispatches 

ferred upon him. Never did his manhood shine 
more brightly than in the dark days of 1864-65. 

The end came. Through the mud of a torrential 
April he rode at the head of his veterans across the 
red-clay hills about the Appomattox and to the quiet 
county-seat of that name. He told his lieutenants 
that he would rather have died a hundred deaths 
than to have surrendered, but when no alternative 
offered, he went to the McLean house, pleaded con- 
sideration for the men who made up his army and 
then went back to write his last report to the Presi- 
dent of his dying country. It was a confession of 
defeat — the bitterest words a soldier can write — but 
through it breathed the same high spirit that marked 
his terse account of Mechanicsville. And of the 
same spirit is his last address to his army, that final 
injunction of a departing Arthur. 

Men who saw him that first day of June, 1862, 
when he galloped across the field of Seven Pines 
with President Davis and a brilliant staff, say that 
Lee seemed then the very incarnation of knighthood. 
Some of the same men, viewing him as he rode back 
to Richmond, mud-spattered and travel- worn, say 
he looked even nobler then than when his splendid 
career was nearing its noon. He had led one of the 
finest armies in history; he had checkmated the 
moves of the most worthy foemen his enemy could 
bring against him; he had fought with his back to 
his capital; he had carried his banners into hostile 
States. Yet he went to Richmond and thence to 
Lexington a worthier leader than when he was the 
head of an undefeated host. 



Introduction xxxiii 

There remains but to say a few words of the sources 
and authorities used in preparing this collection and 
of the history of the letters and telegrams themselves. 

The Offuiiil Records have, of course, been employed 
throughout not merely as a check-list but as a con- 
stant cross-reference guide for the better understand- 
ing of the subjects discussed by General Lee.' The 
Southern Ilistoriml Society Papers, especially the 
early volumes and the admirable Index, prepared for 
the State Librar}' of Virginia by Mrs. Kate Pleasants 
Minor, have proved most useful. The Atlas which 
was printed as a supplement to the Official Records 
has hccw invaluable. Without this Atlas at one's 
elbow, intelligent study of the movements of the 
various campaigns is hopeless. 

Of primary authorities, the editor may commend 
to the reader a few of the many hundred as especially 
important for the study of Lee. The biographies of 
Long, Cooke, Taylor, McCabe and Fitz Lee are all 
important; but none is as valuable, from one point 
of view at least, as the splendid Recollections and 
Letters oj General Robert E. Lee, by his son. Captain 
R. E. Lee, C. S. A. Crowded with the personal 
letters of the great commander and written from a 
knowledge which no other biographer could possess, 
this little volume gives a picture of General Lee in- 
finitely more graphic and more appealing than any 
yet painted. The Recollections should be studied by 
• very general reader who wishes to see with what 

' The Offuial Reeords are cited at O. R., with the volume, part and page 
i;i ■ O. R.. 3$. 3, 621. The rcfereDce is always to Srh*t i, 

unir '. stated. 



xxxiv Lee's Dispatches 

delicacy a great man could write of his own achieve- 
ments and with what tact and modesty a great man's 
son could speak of his father. 

Among the many books written by General Lee's 
lieutenants and subordinate officers, the most valu- 
able in the editor's judgment, and certainly the one 
most frequently used in annotating these letters, is 
Brigadier-General E. P. Alexander's Military Me- 
moirs of a Confederate. General Alexander wrote as 
an old man, with memory a trifle dimmed by the lapse 
of time and with some pet theories that could not 
be shaken; but what he lacks in these respects he 
more than compensated by the careful use of the 
Official Records and by a clarity most notable. Few 
Southern writers, if, indeed any, have been able as 
concisely and as distinctly to describe a campaign or 
a battlefield. To beginners, in particular, his book 
is most heartily to be recommended. 

It is probably unnecessary to commend among 
secondary authorities, or to own one's debt to Colonel 
G. F. R. Henderson's Sto7iewall Jackson, a Military 
Biography. Where the careers of Lee and Jackson 
run together, this book is and will doubtless remain 
the one best account of their campaigns, and this 
apart from the fact that as a literary biography it is 
a masterpiece. The South will always regret that 
this fine officer in the King's service did not live to 
write a biography of Lee worthy to rank with his 
Jackson. Had he done so, the greatest need of 
Southern history would have been supplied. 

The Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Mr. 
Davis' well-known volumes, the familiar biography 



Introiluclion xxxv 

of the President by his wife, Johnston's Narrative, 
Alexander li. Stephens' works on the war, McClellan's 
Oicn Story and Grant's great narrative, written in a 
spirit of candor and uncolored frankness, are, of 
course, necessary at all times for their direct or col- 
lateral bearing on Lee's campaigns. Jones' Ribel 
War Clerk's Diary, so frequently cited by Mr. Rhodes, 
is also valuable, despite the writer's provoking fond- 
ness for gossip and his inaccuracy in small details. 

Of the history of the dispatches in this collection, 
neither their owner nor the editor has been able to 
gather anything of consequence. Most of the letters 
and many of the telegrams are in the autograph of 
General Lee, some are in the familiar handwriting 
of Charles Marshall, Walter H. Taylor and others of 
his staff, some are merely copies made at the receiving 
telegraph office or transcribed at the War Depart- 
ment for the use of President Davis. They are 
written on papers of all sorts, from the fine, thin, 
blue English paper which General Lee seemed to 
prefer to the coarse "Confederate gray" made in 
the South during the war. Many of the telegrams 
are on the printed forms of the telegraph company. 
The letters arc contained in one substantial volume 
of post-bellum binding, the telegrams in another 
similar volume. In this form they were purchased 
of a well-known Southern writer by their present 
o\\Tier, Mr. W. J. De Renne of Worm.sloe, Chatham 
Co., Georgia, an historian and collector to whose 
patient and discriminating labor the South owes a 
debt not yet fully appreciated. How these letters 



xxxvi Lee's Dispatches 

came into the possession of the gentleman from whom 
Mr. De Renne bought them cannot be ascertained 
at this time; how they happened to be collected can 
only be surmised from internal evidence. The editor 
thinks it certain, however, that these letters and 
telegrams were from a file kept for his own reference 
by President Davis himself. This seems reasonable 
because: (i) most of the letters, and practically all 
those of importance, were addressed directly to Mr. 
Davis and show no evidence of having passed through 
the hands of other persons, (2) those addressed to 
the War Department are represented in this collec- 
tion by copies rather than by originals and are 
generally marked "for the information of the Presi- 
dent," (3) letters sent by Mr. Davis to other executive 
officers for their use bear endorsements indicating 
their return to Mr. Davis. 

This view is sustained by an analysis of those 
items of this collection which examinations show 
to be already in print. Those which appear in the 
De Renne collection as copies from the War De- 
partment are usually found in the Official Records, 
transcribed from the originals captured after the 
evacuation of Richmond. Those sent directly to 
Mr. Davis — and privately kept by him, if this theory 
be correct — are seldom found in the Official Records. 
Where such items do appear, comparisons with 
General Lee's letter-book, made by the editor, have 
shown that the printed copies came from that source. 
Letters which were written by General Lee and 
regarded as too confidential for even his private 
letter-book do not appear in the Official Records or 



Introduction xxxvii 

in any other printed collection. This would hardly 
occur with such regularity had not the originals, 
sent by General Lee to the President, been carefully 
and privately preserved by the latter. On the other 
hand, had they been in Mr. Davis' possession at the 
time the Records were compiled or when his work on 
the war was written, they would certainly have been 
used. 

Taking all these facts into consideration, the editor 
believes that the De Renne papers were kept as a 
private file by Mr. Davis, were carried or sent South 
when Richmond fell and were probably lost on the 
journey along with other papers since recovered. 

None of the letters or telegrams located by the 
editor or his assistants in any printed work appears 
in this collection, unless it be that the printed copies 
have escaped the most diligent search that could be 
made. This process of exclusion has disposed of 
two-thirds of the De Renne collection but it has per- 
haps increased the value of the items now presented. 
All dispatches printed in this volume, it might be 
well to add, follow the precise spelling, punctuation 
and arrangement of the originals 

Tlie editor, finally, cannot forbear a word of thanks 
to the friends who have assisted in what has certainly 
been a labor of love. The owner of the dispatches, 
Mr. W. J. De Renne, who arranged for their appear- 
ance in print, has been generous in overlooking 
delays and enthusiastic in his encouragement at 
ever>' stage of the work. The editor could but hope 
that the future of Southern history were in the keep- 
ing of men like Mr. Dc Renne who combine. means 



xxxviii Lee's Dispatches 

for publication with reverent regard for historical 
acciiracy. Captain W. Gordon McCabe, chosen 
custodian of the papers of General Lee, has given 
the editor free access to them and has aided with 
many suggestions, based on an unexcelled, critical 
knowledge of the war. To Dr. H. J. Eckenrode of 
the State Library of Virginia, and to the other officials 
of that splendid collection, notably to Dr. H. R. 
Mcllwaine, Mr. E. G. Swem and Mrs. Kate Pleasants 
Minor, the editor is under lasting obligations. Miss 
Susie B. Harrison, House Regent of the Confederate 
Museimi of Richmond has also given generously of 
her time. With such friends and helpers, even the 
dullest details of an editorial task are pleasant. 

D. S. F. 
Richmond, 1914. 



CONTENTS 

No. I . rACK 

June J, 1862. 

Thanks for offer of horsc:i — Traveller and the other 

mounts ... }, 

No. 2. 
June s, 1862. 

Can Jackson strike into Pennsylvania while Lee holds 

Richmond? ....... 5 

No. 3- 
June 7, 1862. 

Longstrect a capital soldier — " Dick" Anderson — Ability 

of others ........ 10 

No. 4. 

Jufji- 24, 1S62. 

Ransom's troops behave badly — Ilugcr must hold his 

lines .12 

No. 5. 

June 25, 1862. 

William Duncan Smith — R. H. Anderson and Huger — 

their ability and service ..... 14 

No. 6. 

June 26, 1862. 

Jackson's explanation of his delay in starting the Seven 

Days' Fight 15 

xzxix 



xl Contents 

No. 7, PAGE 

June 26, 1862. 
Headquarters on the Mechanicsville Turnpike . . 17 

No. 8. 
June 27, 1862. 
The enemy may be crossing the Chickahominy — Hold 

the works ........ 18 

No. 9. 
June 2g, 1862. 
McClellan is making for the James — Disposition of forces 

to strike him ....... 19 

No. 10. 

July 2, 1862. 
McClellan's position and his probable plans — How those 

plans are to be met ...... 22 

No. II. 

July 3, 1862. 

McClellan will not cross to the south side of the James . 24 

No. 12. 

July 4, 1862 

McClellan's position is too strong to attack ... 25 

No. 13. 

July p, 1862. 

McClellan inactive — ^We must reorganize for active op- 
erations ........ 28 

No. 14. 

July II, 1862. 

Colonel Micah Jenkins' record — Recommended for 

promotion ....... 33 



ConiLiits xli 

No. 15. ,,c.« 

July 25, 1S62. 
The Louisiana troops and their organization — "Dick" 

Taylor 34 

No. 16. 

July 2$, 1S62. 

John Pope's command — his forces and his plans of 

attack ........ 36 

No. 17. 

July 26. 1862. 

We must meet Pope — General Branch — Morgan in Ken- 
tucky 38 

No. 18. 
July JO, 1862. 
Colonel William Smith and his command — Where shall 

he be placed.-* ... .40 

No. 19. 

Julyjt, 1862. 

"Stonewall " Jackson and his cavalry commanders 42 

No. 20. 

A uf^usl 2, 1862. 

The murder of Munford — Communications with Mc- 

Clcllan ..... 44 

No. 21. 

August 4, 1S62. 
Forms in dealing with the enemy ... 45 

No. 22. 

August 14, J 862. 

Cami^aipn plans against General John Pope 45 



xlii Contents 

No. 23. PAGE 

August 16, 1862. 
Surmises of the Federal plans — Imboden in Western 

Virginia ........ 49 

No. 24. 

August 25, 1862. 
General Smith's forces should be sent forward . . 52 

No. 25. 

August 26, 1862. 

McClellan's troops have joined Pope — Reinforce us 52 

No. 26. 
August 26, 1862. 
A captured letter from a Federal officer — protect the 

writer 53 

No. 27. 

August 28, 1862. 
Jackson has struck the enemy — Send Hampton forward . 54 

No. 28. 
August 2g, 1862. 
We are advancing steadily — Confederate officers 

wounded ........ 55 

No. 29. 
August 30, 1862. 
Confederate success — Have no time to lose if we would 

reap the advantage . . . . . -56 

No. 30. 

August JO, 1862. 

Victory on the " plains of Manassas " .... 59 

No. 31. 

September 8, 1862. 

Moving into Maryland — Will destroy the railroad . . 61 



Contents xliii 

No. 32. rAO 

October 2S, 1862. 
Will make arrangements desired by President Davis . 65 

No. 33. 

November 20, 1862. 

Burnside is preparing to move on Fredericksburg . 66 

No. 34. 

November 25, 1862. 

Ordnance needed ...... 67 

No. 35. 

January 6, iS6j. 
Situation in Xorth Cardlina — Condition of D. H.Hill . 68 

No. 36. 
January Ji, i86j. 
Milroy's assessment orders — Correspondence with the 

enemy ........ 70 

No. 37. 

February 24, i86j. 

The condition of the cavalry and its mounts . . 72 

No. 38. 

March 7, iS6j. 

Organizing the artillery of the army — Available ofTicers . 73 

No. 39. 

March 11, 1863. 

Weather conditions — Transportation of supplies . 80 

No. 40. 

March 21, i86j. 

The Sparrow bill — Proposed changes in the army . .fir 



xliv Contents 

No. 41. PAGE 

March 26, 1863. 
Report of Mosby's raids — his prizes .... 83 

No. 42. 
April 2, 1863. 
Whereabouts of Burnside — No troops have left for 

Tennessee ....... 84 

No. 43. 
April 2Q, 1863. 
Longstreet had better come forward to protect the rail- 
roads ........ 84 

No. 44. 

April 30, 1863. 
Stuart is moving against the enemy — his position . 85 

No. 45. 
April 30, 1863. 
Will meet the enemy back of Fredericksburg and en- 
deavor to drive him back ..... 86 

No. 46. 

May 7, 1863. 
Promotion of Rodes and Edward Johnson ... 87 

No. 47. 

May 7, 1863. 

How Hooker escaped ...... 90 

No. 48. 

May 25, 1863. 

The ability of Heth and Pender — Their title to promotion 91 

No. 49. 

May 26, 1863. 

Gordon, Morgan and O'Neal — Promotions and transfers 94 



Contents xlv 

No. 50. rAC. 

May jS. iS6j. 

More transfers — The men to be promoted — Pender — 

RanM)m — French ..... 96 

No. 51. 
Afay 2Q, i86j. 
Troubles with D. H. Hill— Will the President take 

action? 99 

No. 52. 

Junr 4, i86j. 

The enemy on the Northern Neck .... 100 

No. 53. 

Junr 7, i86j. 

Operations on the eastern line . . . .101 

No. 54. 

June IS. lS6j. 

Early's success at Winchester — Artillery captured . 103 

No. 55. 
July 10, iS6j. 
The army is in pood health — Tlio enemy app>earinp — Tb*- 

wounded safe . . 103 

No. 56. 
July 16, 1863. 
Reasons for withdrawal across the Potomac — Pcttigrew's 

wound .... 105 

No. 57- 
July 24, I So J. 
Back at Cuhx^ixr with Longstrcot's rurti-;- TliU cominR 

on . . 106 



xlvi Contents 

No. 58. PAGE 

July 25, i86j. 
Surgeon Mitchell . . . . . . .107 

No. 59. 

July 31, 1863. 

The enemy reported at Fredericksburg . . .108 

No. 60. 

July 31, 1863. 

The responsibility for Gettysburg .... 108 

No. 61. 

August J, 1863. 

Will not fight north of the Rapidan . . . .112 

No. 62. 

August I, 1863. 

Promotion of Wilcox — Stephen D. Lee . . • 115 

No. 63. 

August 5, 1863. 

Holt's Georgians — No consolidations now proposed . 118 

No. 64. 

August JO, 1863. 

Transfers — Wharton — Forney — More promotions . 119 

No. 65. 

August 17, 1863. 

Desertions — The partisan corps — Furloughs . .122 

No. 66. 

August 24, 1863. 

Jenkins will report to Samuel Jones . . . .124 

No. 67. 

August 30, 1863. 

Movement of Jones' command . . . . .125 



Contents xlvii 

No. 68. r*.. 

September S, 1S63. 
Pai)crs for the President. . . ... 126 

No. 69 

September g, lS6j. 

Longstrcet's corps on the way to Georgia — No trains for it 1 26 

No. 70. 
October 2, 1 86 J. 

Promotions among the Georgia troops — Iverson — Staf- 
ford — Hays' judgment of his colonels 127 

No. 71. 
December 6, j86j. 

The Mine Run campaign — Wants Rodes — Must have 

traiisjxjrtation ....... 129 

N'o. 72. 

December^, i86j. 

Lee can go to Dalton if desired . . . .130 

No. 73. 
January 20, 1864. 
Louisiana troops and Morgan's command — discipline 

endangered . .131 

No. 74. 

February j, 1864. 

Shall troops be sent f" Richmond? . . 133 

No. 75- 

February 6, 1864. 

Rosser's successes and prizes . • 1 34 

No. 76. 
February 7, 1864. 
The enemy seem to have retired to the North side of the 

Rapidan . . .136 



xlviii Contents 

No. ^-J. PAGE 

February g, 1864. 

Judgment on the New Bern affair — General Barton's 

failure ........ 136 

No. 78. 

March 4, 1864. 

General Pendleton will be sent for duty as indicated . 1 37 

No. 79. 

March 5, 1864. 

Re-enlistments for the war . . . . . .138 

No. 80. 

March 25, 1864. 

Grant's 'plan of campaign — May direct first attack 
against Johnston or Longstreet — Should not con- 
centrate too speedily — Richmond should prepare 
for a siege ....... 140 

No. 81. 

April 6, 1864. 

The plaint of Colonel Edward O'Neal. . . .146 

No. 82. 

April 7, 1864. 

Courts-martial and the death penalty . . .149 

No. 83. 

April 7, 1864. 

Pardon for military prisoners . . . . -151 

No. 84. 

April ij, 1864. 

The policy of pardons — Amnesties and desertions . 154 



Contents xlix 

No. 85. r*c« 

April IS, 1864. 
Enemy's first feint niay be north of the James — Federal 

reorganization 158 

No. 86. 
April ig, 1S64. 
Re-establishment of the Cincinnati disapproved 160 

No. 87. 

April 22, 1864. 

The Winchester arrests — The pretended State govern- 
ment ..... 162 

No. 88. 

April 2j, 1864. 

Impossible to spare Edward Johnson at this time 164 

No. 89. 

April 24, 1864. 

Can Davis visit the army? .165 

No. 90. 
April 2$, 1864. 
Delay in the enemy's advance — Confederate dispositions 

— Preparations . .166 

No. 91. 
April JO, 1864. 
The Federals on the move — Must be prepared to meet 

them ... .167 

No. 92. 
May 4, 1864. 
Grant is crossing the Rapidan — Our forces must be con- 
centrated to face him .169 



1 Contents 

No. 93. PAGE 

May Q, 1864. 
The best methods of combating the Federal advance dis- 
cussed — Hopes to keep Grant from Richmond , 174 

No. 94. 

May 14, 1864. 

Supplies and how they may be sent . . . .177 

No. 95. 

May 14, 1864. 
Grant is drawing forces from the South — Cannot this 

army be reinforced from that quarter? . .179 

No. 96. 
May 15, 1864. 
Breckinridge wants reinforcements — Grant getting 

them . . . . . . . .180 

No. 97. 

May 15, 1864. 
The enemy repulsed — is moving on Confederate right . 181 

No. 98. 
May 18, 1864. 
The assignment of General McLaws to duty elsewhere 

than in Virginia . . . . . , 1 82 

No. 99. 

May 18, 1S64. 
The enemy is waiting for reinforcements — We will 
strike whenever the opportunity presents itself — 
The general situation . . . . .183 

No. 100. 
May 18, 1864. 
Grant seems to be waiting for reinforcements — Shall we 
fight here or around Richmond? — May have to fall 
back on Richmond . . . . . .186 



Contents li 

No. loi. ,^, 

May iS, 1S64. 
Troops that can be spared from Richmond should be 

sent forward ....... 187 

No. 102. 

May 20, 1864. 

The probable wisdom of falling back on Richmond 188 

No. 103. 
May 22, 1864. 
At Hanover Junction — No news of Federals east of the 

Mattaponi. . . 189 

No. 104. 
May 22, 1S64. 
Reasons for withdrawal — Probable line of Federal 

advance ........ 190 

No. 105. 
May 2j, 1S64. 
Grant may follow the railroad — Will endeavor to strike 
him on the move — Co-operation with Beauregard on 
the north side of the James . . • J94 

No. 106. 
May 2S, 1864. 
Echols and McClausland — Dissatisfaction among iheir 

men • »97 

No. 107. 
May 2$, 1864. 
Withdrawal below the "Annas" — Where shall the armies 

of the Confederacy unite against Grant? .198 

No. 108. 

May 28, 1864. 

Destruction of the Meadow Bridge — must be rebuilt 201 



Hi Contents 

No. 109. PAGE 

May 28, 1864. 

Pause to await development of Federal plan — Can 

meet Beauregard wherever latter suggests . . 202 

No. no. 

May 2Q, 1864. 

Conference with General Beauregard . . , 204 

No. III. 

May 29, 1864. 

Beauregard does not think he can spare troops — Will 

engage Grant with present force .... 205 

No. 112. 

May 30, 1864. 
Where are the reinforcements from Georgia? . . 206 

No. 113. 

May 30, 1864. 
Movements from Butler's army to Grant's , . . 207 

No. 114. 

May JO, 1864. 

Result of conference with Beauregard — Withdrawal of 

troops from elsewhere for the defence of Richmond . 208 

No. 115. 

May 31, 1864. 

Best line of advance for General Hoke. . . .210 

No. 116. 

June I, 1864. 

General Echols and the Western Virginia campaign — 

Colonel Patton . . . . . . .211 



Contents liii 

No. 117. ,^, 

June J, 1864. 
The battle of June 2 — The enemy n-pulsed — Troops from 

Beauregard 212 

No. 118. 
June s, 1864. 
Western Virginia, again — General Breckinridge — Trans- 
portation for him 215 

No. 119. 
June 6, 1864. 
The necessity for action in the Valley — Troops and 

commanders there .216 

No, 120. 
June 6, 1S64 
The movements of Wharton'.s command — Enemy's pre- 
cautions threaten efforts to stop him except by 
assault 219 

No. 121. 
June Q, 1S64. 
Sheridan's operations and the methods of counteracting 

them 221 

No. 122. 

June Q, 1864. 

Ransom's brigade ordered back to Beauregard • ^^3 

No, 123. 

June g, 1864. 

Acknowledgment of dispatches ..... 224 

No, 124. 
June Jt, 1864. 
Recommendation of Colonel Morgan — Withdrawal of 

recommendation of O'Neal ..... 225 



liv Contents 

No. 125. PAGE 

June 14, 1864. 
Enemy is preparing to cross the James — His probable 

movements . . . . . . .226 

No. 126. 
June 14, 1864. 
Whereabouts of Grant's forces — Reasons for keeping 

troops on the line ...... 232 

No. 127. 

June 14, 1864. 
Hoke sent to the James — Grant to cross — No operations 

on the North Side . . . . . -234 

No. 128. 

June 75, 1864. 
Conference with Beauregard's aide — Reinforcements for 

the South side — Withdrawals to the outer line . 235 

No. 129. 

June 15, 1864. 
The location of pontoons on the James — Orders . . 237 

No. 130. 

June 1$, 1864. 

Enemy's plans do not appear to be settled — Will 

remain where the army now is . . . . 238 

No. 131. 

June 75, 1864. 
Grant's probable movements — Early's departure — Plans 

for the Valley campaign ..... 239 

No. 132. 

June 15, 1864. 
Importance of secrecy regarding Early's advance 240 



Contents Iv 

No. 133. ^^c. 

June IS, 1864. 

Ransom's movements — The death of Polk — Cannot 
recommend Pendleton for promotion — A. P. 
Stewart — Ewell's health ..... 242 

No. 134. 

June 16, 1S64. 

The crossing; ol the James — Beauregard's battles 243 

No. 135. 

June 16, 1S64. 

Quartermasters' stores needed — A surplus should be 

gathered ........ 246 

No. 136. 

June ij, 1864. 

Beauregard's line assaulted, lost and restored 247 

No. 137. 

June 18, 1864. 

Grant's whole force is across the river — Protection of 

the North Side ....... 249 

No. 138. 
June ig, 1864. 
The defence of Richmond — The new lines chosen by 

Beauregard — Dangerof interrupted communications 250 

No. 139. 

June 21, 1864. 

Communications — Early's raid — Pendleton — EwcJI 253 

No. 140 

June 21, 1864. 

The troops at Howlett's— Lt.-Col. J. A. Williams . . 257 



Ivi Contents 

No. 141. PAGE 

June 25, 1864. 
Railroad cut — Hampton's cavalry needed — Send Cham- 
bliss 258 

No. 142. 

June 26, 1864. 

SuflPering of citizens on the Northern Neck . . . 259 

No. 143. 

June 27, 1864. 

Ordnance needed ....... 261 

No. 144. 

June 27, 1864. 

Ordnance requested returned ..... 262 

No. 145. 

June 2g, 1864. 

The detail of Clerk Cutherell 262 

No. 146. 

June 30, 1864. 

Whiting's complaint — His position — Should do his best 263 

No. 147. 
July I, 1864. 
News from the North — Early's movements not dis- 
covered — Bad condition of Northern markets . 265 

No. 148. 
July 2, 1864. 
One commander for the cavalry — Hampton commended 

and recommended ...... 268 

No. 149. 

July 3, 1864. 
Proposed release of prisoners at Point Lookout . . 269 



Contents Ivii 

No. 150. ,,^. 

July 4-6, 1864. 

More news from the North — Bumside's corps 272 

No. 151. 

July 5, 1864. 

The necessity of keeping up the cavalry — Recruits and 

remounts ........ 273 

No. 152. 

July 5, 1864. 

The details of the proposed Point Lookout expedition 275 

No. 153. 
July 6, 1864. 
The whereabouts of the 9th corps — its reported move- 
ments ........ 276 

No. 154. 

July 7. 1864. 

Reported crossing at Bermuda Hundred . . 277 

No. 155. 
July 8, 1864. 
Wood's expedition against Point Lookout is discussed 

in the army ....... 278 

No. 156. 
July 10, 1864. 
Northern papers on Early's raid — its good effects — The 

quotations on gold 279 

No. 157. 

July 12, 1864. 

Conditions in North Carolina — plans to better them a8o 

No. 158. 
July 12, 1864. 
The propose' al of Johnston not approved — 

Hood's q ...... 282 



Iviii Contents 

No. 159. P^GE 

July 12, 1864. 
Monocacy — The removal of Johnston — Hood — Hardee 283 

No. 160. 
July 21, 1864. 
Communications — Quartermasters' stores — Must accu- 
mulate stock ....... 285 

No. 161. 

July 28, 1864. 
Early is safely back in Virginia — Troops at Martinsburg 287 

No. 162. 

August g, 1864. 

The soap ration — Prices . . . . . .288 

No. 163. 
August 22, 1864. 
Grant's movement against the Weldon railroad — Line 
cannot be held — Other means of communication 
and their improvement . . . . .289 

No. 164. 

September g, 1864. 
Conscription and recruiting ..... 293 

No. 165. 

September 10, 1864. 

Conscription, again — Exemptions — Need of men . . 296 

No. 166. 

September 24, 1864. 

Operations on the Virginia and Tennessee railroad . 298 

No. 167. 

October 4, 1864. 

Federal raid on Saltville repulsed .... 299 



Contents lix 

No. 1 68. r^cB 

October 7, 1S64. 
Federal activities on the Rapidan .... 300 

No. 169. 

October tg, 1864. 

Further operations in East Tennessee . . .301 

No. 1 70. 

October 25, 1864. 

Mr. Stewart's mysterious project — Lee's non-approval . 303 

.\»). 171. 
November 2, 1864. 
General Law's grievances — Grant's strength — Southern 

need of men ....... 304 

No. 172. 
December ij, 1864. 
The Hicksford raid ....... 306 

No. 173. 

December 14, 1864. 

No meat for the army — Meat at Wilmington 307 

No. 174. 

December ly, 1S64. 

The Federal raid on the Virginia and Tennessee . 309 

No. 175. 

December 22, 1S64. 

Bragg without supplies at Wilmington — Official red tape 310 

No. 176. 

December 25, 1864. 

Operations on the Roanoke • 3 1 ' 

No. 177. 

January 8, 1865. 

The defence of Charleston and of Carolina .31^ 



Ix Contents 

No. 178. PAGE 

January 10, 1865. 
Prospects in South Carolina — Possible consolidations . 314 

No. 179. 
January 15, 1865. 
Butler's division for service in South Carolina — Bragg's 

situation ........ 316 

No. 180. 
January 18, 1865. 
The loss of Fort Fisher — The need of legalized official 

trade with the North 318 

No. 181. 
January 19, 1865. 
Lee's willingness to assume general command of the 

Confederate armies ...... 322 

No. 182. 

January 20, 1865. 

Improvement of the Piedmont railroad — its importance 324 

No. 183. 
January 21, 186$. 
The defence of Charleston — The advance of the enemy 

must be contested . -327 

No. 184. 
January 28, 1865. 
The destruction of cotton, etc., to save it from capture 

at the hands of the enemy . . . . .328 

No. 185. 
January 29, 1865. 
Early's reports — Thomas' army — Grant enveloping 
Richmond — Reinforcement of Sherman "almost as 
bad " as of Grant 329 



Contents Ixi 

No. 186. ,^^g 

January jo, 186$. 
Reinforcements for Grant from the Wfst — The removal 
of Confederate troops eastward — Grant can envelop 
Richmond or turn Confederate flanks 330 

No. 187. 
January jo, j86$. 
The Hampton Road Conference — Commissioncra en 

route 332 

No. 188. 

January jj, 186$. 

Messaf^e from Alexander H. Stephens 334 

No. 189. 

February (j, 186$. 

BraK>j coming to Richmond . 336 

No. 190. 
February 24, 186$. 

Strengthening of the forces against the South — Federal 

successes — Cavalry operations .... 336 

No. 191. 

March 21, 1865. 

()l)erations in Tennessee and North Carolina 338 

No. 192. 

March 2j, !86$. 

Sherman's advance — Johnston's reports 339 

No. 193. 
March 24, 186$. 

Activities of the Federal fleet in the James — Error 

suspected ..... ... 340 



Ixii Contents 

No. 194. PAGB 

March 26, 1864. 
The attack of Fort Stedman — Disastrous results — Junc- 
tion with Johnston — Opposition to Sherman — Criti- 
cal situation of the army ..... 341 

No. 195. 

March 2Q, 1865. 
Affairs in the Trans-Mississippi Department — Kirby 

Smith's army ....... 347 

No. 196. 

March 2g, 1865. 
Affairs in Alabama and Mississippi — Federal cavalry 

raids — Taylor's plans of campaign . . . 349 

No. 197. 

March 29, 1865. 
Reports of Stoneman's raid — its objective . . . 351 

No. 198. 
March 30, 1865. 
The engagements at Dinwiddie C. H. and at Hatcher's 
Run 352 

No. 199. 

March 31, 1865. 

The attack on Mobile — Taylor's defence . . . 353 

No. 200. 

March 31, 1865. 

The advance on Selma, Alabama .... 354 

No. 201. 

March 31, 1865. 
Anderson's operations on the Boydton plank road . 355 



Contents Ixlii 

No. 202. ^AOB 

March ji, 186$. 
Detail of General John T. Morgan .... 357 

No. 203. 
April I, 1 86s. 
General Morgan can go to assist Governor Watts — his 

whereabouts . . . . 358 

No. 204. 
April I, iS6$. 
The ■ t the raiil to Dinwiddie C. H. — Must evac- 

:tion on the James River .... 358 

Inde.x . . . . . .361 



A 



Lee's Dispatches 



I 



Lee's Dispatches 



No. I. 

Near RicnMO>a) 

3 June, '62' 
M' President 

I am extremely grateful for your kind offer of 
your fine horse & feel most sensibly the consideration 
& thoughtfulncss that prompted it. But I really do 
not require one at this time & would infinitely prefer 
your retaining him & allow me to enjoy the sense of 
your kindness & to call for him when I am in want. 

• This letter was written on the second day after General 
Lee assumed coninumd of the army defending Richmond. 
When GcntTal Jost-ph E. Johnston was woun<le<l on the 
afternoon of May 31, 1862, Major-Gcneral Gustaviis W. 
Smith, as second in command, took charge of field operations 
n- '-d the movements of the army 1. 

<• „ I . at 2 P.M., that General L< . , :: .d 

(Smith's report, O. R., 13, i, 992). In General Lee's per- 
1^ ■ *' rs from the P- ' delivtTcd the v 

o< passage: " [III i ry to interfere t«: , ; / 

with the duties to which you were assigned in connection with 
t' * -vice, hut only so far as to make you 'c 

f' in the field of a particular army" , o 

Lee. O. R., 13. 3, 568). In taking the field the same after- 
V "." * " ■■ " ■ -^ «<)). <~ " " " •! 

a ..in at li 

i 



4 Lee's Dispatches 

My gray has calmed down amazingly,^ gave me a 
very pleasant ride all day yesterday & I enjoyed 

He did not possess the confidence of the army nor was the 
immediate outlook favorable. His previous service in the 
Confederate army had been limited to a single campaign in 
Western Virginia, to coast-defence work at Charleston and 
to duty as military adviser to the President. His qualities 
were, accordingly, practically unknown to many of his officers ; 
he was accounted a "staff officer" and, as Longstreet points 
out, "officers of the line are not apt to look to the staff in 
choosing leaders of soldiers, either in tactics or strategy" 
{From Manassas, etc., 112). Many of his division com- 
manders received with "misgivings" the President's choice 
(Longstreet, loc. cit.) and young Alexander doubted that Lee 
possessed "audacity" {op. cit., iio-ii). The army, moreover, 
was embarrassed by the engagements of May 30-June i ; 
the weather was unspeakably depressing and stubbornly wet. 
Worse still, a Federal army of almost 100,000 men was thrown 
in an arc around the Confederate capital, with its outposts 
within six miles of the city. McClellan's forces rested on 
Beaver Dam Creek, extended in a southeasterly direction to 
the Chickahominy, crossed that stream at New Bridge and 
ran toward the South as far as White Oak Swamp. By sheer 
good fortune, McClellan had been able to throw sufficient 
troops across the river to meet the first Confederate attack 
and had managed to keep bridges over the swollen stream, 
across which he could send more men. The battle of Seven 
Pines, fought on three successive days by three different 
Confederate commanders, was a draw at best and its close, 
when General Lee reached the field, left the opposing armies 
in relatively the same positions they had occupied. 

* "My gray" was Traveller, best beloved of Lee's chargers. 
Traveller had been bought in Western Virginia from the Broun 
family in the winter of 1861. He was an iron gray "with 
black points — mane and tail very dark — sixteen hands high 
and five years old" (Lee, Recollections, 82) and was renowned 



The Seven Days' Hattle 5 

his gaits much. My other horses^ arc improving 
& will soon I hope be ready for service. So I really 
with my present riding would not know what to do 
with more. Tlicy would not have sufikient exercise 
& be uncomfortable to me & themselves. 

With a full sense & appreciation of your kindness 
& great gratitude for your friendship, I must again 
beg to be allowed to ask you to keep the horse in 
your ser\'ice.^ 

With sentiments of profound respect & esteem 
I am your obliged & humble scrvl 

R. E. Lee 

His E.xc'' President Davis 

No. 2. 

Cofijiiicfitial 

H^-QRs: NEAR Richmond 
5 June, '62 
His Exc^ 

President Davis 

After much reflection I think if it was possible 
to reinforce Tackson strongly, it would change the 

for his !>• endurance. If not properly exercised, he 

easily became restless, but in normal times, was "quiet and 
sensible" and "afraid of nothing" (Lee, loc. cit.). General 
Ixv was viTv fond of the liorsc and wrote in a feelinj; manner 
of the animal's faithful ser\'icc. It should be added, however, 
thai R. F:. Ixt. Jr.. »- "' ' - • t«' - "cd a most 

unfavorable <»i>ini()n «-: 

* General Lee's other mounts were Grace iJarlinR, Rich- 
mond. Brown Roan, Ajax and Lucy Long. Two of these 
<iie<l under hard w<irk and two others had to be put aside. 

* It was characteristic of General Lee never to accept a 
favor he could not promptly return. 



6 Lee's Dispatches 

character of the War. This can only be done by the 
troops in Georgia, S. C. & N. C. Jackson could in 
that event cross Maryland into Penn' — It would 
call all the enemy from our Southern Coast & liberate 
those states — If these states will give up their troops 
I think it can be done.^ APClellan will make this 

^ This is the only reference the editor has found to a move- 
ment the possibilities of which were obvious. "Stonewall" 
Jackson was at this time in the Valley of Virginia and, on 
this very day, reached the town of Harrisonburg in the course 
of his memorable campaign. The battles of Port Republic 
and Cross Ke3^s (June 8, 1862) were but three days' distant. 
Lee had, it must be remembered, no assurance that their 
outcome would be so overwhelming a victory for Southern 
arms and he was, of course, basing his theory on nothing more 
than the known character and dash of Jackson. Lee's ap- 
proval of the plan here proposed at least demonstrates that 
he had already settled upon two things, — that an offensive 
campaign must be waged to draw the enemy from the South 
and that he would finish the Peninsula campaign without 
reinforcements from those quarters. It will be noted, also, 
that General Lee's words do not make it plain whether the 
plan proposed was of his own devising or was suggested by 
President Davis or some one else. Related correspondence 
in the Official Records throws no light on this question, with 
the exception of one word in a letter from Lee to G. W. 
Randolph, Secretary of War. In this (0. R., ii, 3, 575) he 
refers to the "troops from Georgia you propose" sending 
Jackson. It seems not improbable that "you" is here used 
in a particular sense and would not have been so employed 
had the sending of troops to Jackson been suggested by Lee 
himself. This, however, is but surmise. The Records are 
silent and contain no further discussion of a plan which was 
daring if not altogether practicable. 

* Aside from the movement against New Orleans and the 
activities around Sumter, it will be recalled that at this time 



The Seven Days' Battle 7 

a battle of Posts.^ He will take position from posi- 
tion, under cover of his heavy guns, & we cannot 
get at him without storming his works, which with 
our new troops is extremely hazardous. You wit- 
nessed the experiment Saturday.^ It will require 
100,000 men to resist the regular siege of Richmond, 
which perhaps would only prolong not save it — I am 
preparing a line that I can hold with part of our 
forces in front, while with the rest I will endeavour 
to make a diversion to bring M^Clcllan out. He 
sticks under his batteries & is working day & night' — 
He is obliged to adhere to the R. R. unless he can 
reach James river to provision his Army. I am 
endeavouring to block his progress on the R. R.* 

t' re no important m ^ on foot east of the 

N . ;)i Rivor, cxcxpt in T' 

* Immediately after the battle of Seven FHnes, McClcllan 
realized that an advance movement during the next few days 
wouM be extremely hazardous, and accordingly put all his 
available forces to work entrenching his position. These, 
1 ' <1 them [his menl while the bridges were 
1 urity to the trains, liberate<l a larger 
fighting force, and offered a safe retreat in the event of dis- 
aster" (McC* " Own Slory, 385). General I>ee's pre- 
diction that ? .n would make the Peninsula Campaign 
"a battle of posts" was amply verified by the result. 

* May 31. the date ' ' Pines. 

» Cf. McClcllan to . June 3, 1862: "Hard at work 

upon the bridges, removing wounded, &c." (O. R., he. cil., 
212). June 7 (same to same): "I am pushing fonvard the 
bridges .... and the men are working night and day, up to 
their waists in water, to complete them" (McCIellan, op. 
cit., 387). 

* The York River railroad, connecting Richmond with 



8 Lee's Dispatches 

& have written up to see if I can get made an iron 
battery on trucks with a heavy gun, to sweep the 
country in our front.' The enemy cannot move his 
heavy guns except on the R. R. You have seen no- 
thing like the roads on the Chick — y bottom.^ Our 
people are opposed to work. Otir troops officers 
community & press. All ridicule & resist it. It is 
the very means by which M'^Clellan has & is ad- 
vancing. Why should we leave to him the whole ad- 
vantage of labour. Combined with valoiu" fortitude 
& boldness, of which we have otir fair proportion, it 
should lead us to success. What carried the Roman 
soldiers into all Countries, but this happy combina- 
tion. The evidences of their labour last to this day. 
There is nothing so military as labour, & nothing 
so important to an army as to save the lives of its 
soldiers — 

I enclose a letter I have rec*^ from Genl D. H. Hill, 
for your own perusal.' Please return it to me. I 

West Point, located on deep water at the confluence of the 
Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers. 

^ Cf. Lee to J. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, June 5, 1862 
(O. R,, loc. cit., 574). Lee wanted "an iron-plated battery, 
mounting a heavy gun, on trucks, the whole covered with 
iron, to move along the York River Railroad." He believed 
such a battery would be of "immense advantage." 

* The bottoms along the Chickahominy, normally heavy 
and difficult of access, were at this time almost impassable, 
owing to the unusual floods and rain. Two days later Mc- 
Clellan {op. cit., 387) describes them as flooded "to the depth 
of three or four feet." 

' Not found. Apparently a complaint of inefficiency among 
his subordinates. 



The Seven Days liattlc 9 

had taken means to arrest stragglers — I hope he is 
mistaken about his Brigadiers — I fear not in Rains* 
case. • • Of Featherston • ' I know nothinj^. I thought 
you ought to know it. Our position requires you 
shoulil know everything & you must excuse my 
troubling you." The firing in our front has ceased. 

'•Gabriel J. Rains of North Carolina ■ -^i). Rains 

was a West Point graduate who saw co:. .c service in 

the "old army." He was orijnnally commissioned as colonel 
of Infantry in C f, but wxs • ! Ijriga- 

dicr-v;encral in :.,-...... 11, assuming; . A of a 

brigade under Magrudcr at Yorktown. He later led a diNision 
in t' army, comixjscd of Rains' and Fcathcrston's 

bri^.- I the "troops at Gloucester Point." At Seven 

Pines he commandctl his brigade, the 6th and 2,\n\ Georgia and 
13th and ^<»th .Mabama. He was much i 'in torjxjdo 

construction (O. R., he. cit., 509 ff.) aiM .. ., ...e i8, 1862 
(S. O.. A. N. Va.. No. 140, XII.. O. R.. toe. cit.. 608) was as- 
signed to Cf>mmand of the sul)marinc <!•• • \hc James 
and Appomallo.x. For a sketch of Rai:. Confederate 
Military History, 4, ^^39 (cited infra as C. M. H.). Rains 
was failure to advance ! time after 

a su- ...lit on the enemy's !• . . .. ,vcn Pines. 

But Hill refers to him as " that gallant and meritorious officer" 
(Rt * O. R., /oc. fi/.. I. 944). 

' -iicrston (1821-1891) was a politician 

before the war and. in May, 1861, was made colonel of the 
17th Missis • *. He V iiT- 

gcncral. .Mar ^. : .. and com: .- - „ . en 

Pines composed of the 27th and 28th Georgia, the 4th North 

•" and the 49lh Virginia Infantr>'. He was later 

; red to the Western army (C. .M. H.. 7, 251-51). 

*• Thb remark is not without its significance. Lcc desired 
to C' as 

had ;.. _: ...„: ^ »ai- 



10 Lee's Dispatches 

I believe it was the enemys shell practice. Col. 

Long'^ went down early this mor^ to 

keep me advised, but as I hear nothing from them 
I assume it is unimportant 

Very respy & truly 

R. E. Lee 

No. 3. 

H°-QRS: 7 June, '62 
M' President 

I had the honor to receive on my return to my 
quarters last ev^ your very kind letter of the 6^ — In 
reference to Genl. R. H. Anderson & your conception 
of his qualifications I enclose a note from Genl. 
Longstreet. I know little of Genl. A. personally 
except as Capt: of Dragoons. He was a favourite 
in his Regt: & was considered a good officer. I am 
told he is now under a pledge of abstinence, which I 
hope will protect him from the vice he fell into.^ 

municated his plans fully to the President (Alexander, op. 
ciL, 92-93). 

'3 A. L. Long, later Brigadier-General, military secretary 
and biographer to General Lee. The other name is illegible. 

' Not found. 

^ Longstreet's letter not found. Richard Henry Anderson, 
here referred to, was born in South Carolina, Oct. 7, 182 1, 
and was graduated from West Point in 1842, serving later 
with the 2nd Dragoons. He was in the Mexican War, was 
promoted captain in March, 1855, and was named major of 
cavalry when he entered the Confederate service, March 9, 
1861. On July 19, 1861, he was promoted brigadier-general. 
At Seven Pines he commanded Longstreet's division very 
creditably, which doubtless influenced Longstreet in his 
behalf. His commission as major-general was dated July 14, 



The Seven Oays Baltic 1 1 

Longstrect is a Capital soldier. His recommenda- 
tions hitherto have been good, & I have confidence 
in him — Unless Huger had (jthcr duty,* I do not 
know where to get a division for Genl. A — yet awhile. 
I have called for returns, but have not yet rcc** 
them. I have also sent a circular to Division Com- 
manders to sec what can be done as to reorganizing 
brigades by states.* I fear the result. Nor do I 
think it the best organization. I would rather 
command a brigade composed of regts from diflerent 
states. I think it could be better controuled, more 
emulation would be excited & there would be less 
combination against authority. I can understand 
why officers looking to political preferment would 
prefer it, & it may be more agreeable to the men. 
The latter consideration has much weight with me. 
But as it is your wish & may be in conformity to the 
spirit of the land, I will attempt what can \xt done. 
It must necessarily Ix* slow & will require much time. 
All new brigades I will endeavour so to arrange. 
As regards the petition of the officers of Whitings 

1862. He was later lieutenant-general and ctjrps commander 
inf ' ' "• hern Vir V .M. IL. i. 691 fT.). 

^ r of Soi; ina (1806-1877), was a 

graduate of West Point and in the Mexican War rose to the 
rank of ' ' He was made : ' r- ' ' . 

service 1 - r, 1 861, and coi 

Pines. He was blamed for the partial failure of the first 
' ' ' " . to Johnston. O. R.. 13. 3. 580) but 

'ted by the evidence .Mcxandcr ad- 
duces {Military Sfemoirs, 78-79). For Huger's biography, 
accC. M. H.. 5.403 fl. 

* Not found. 



12 Lee's Dispatches 

brigade I do not see how it can be complied with.^ 
It will leave him without a brigade. He is still its 
Commander, though at present in command of a 
division. The distribution of the brigade will have 
the same effect. The other matters to which you 
allude I will call the attention of the Division & 
Brigade Insp'"s to. I know none of the circumstances. 

I am extremely obliged to you for your considera- 
tion for my comfort. My horse does not fatigue 
me. He goes very comfortably & perhaps suits me 
as I become more accustomed to him as well as any 
I can get. His gallop & walk are very pleasant.^ 
Very respy. & truly 

R. E. Lee 

His Exce' 

President Davis. 

No. 4. 

Head Quarters 
Dept North Va. 
His Excellency June 24th 1862. 

President Davis 

Sir 
I regret that I did not see you when you called 

s Not found. William H. C. Whiting (1824-1865) at this 
time commanded G. W. Smith's division, composed of Whit- 
ing's, Hood's and Hampton's brigades (O. R., 13, pt. 3, 483). 
His own brigade was composed of the 4th Alabama, 2nd and 
nth Mississippi and 6th North CaroUna, with Imboden's 
and Reilly's batteries. Whiting's career during the early 
months of the war was most promising; his military qualities 
at all times were high. 

* Traveller is doubtless referred to. 



The Seven D.ivs' Hattlc 13 

this afternoon — I was called to the Williamsburg 
Road' where some heavy skirmishing was going on 
most of the day. One of the brigades, (Gen. Ran- 
som's)' was new which rendered me more anxious of 
the result — The general behaviour of the troops was 
good , but the affair on the whole was not well managed . * 
This has causcxl me some anxiety — The enemy 
however was driven back from his advanced posi- 
tion. I have determined to make no change in the 
plan — I have ordered Genl. Huger to hold his lines 
at all hazards, and to advance if possible, making 
to-night every preparation to meet any attack of the 
enemy in the morning should he move against him — * 
I have the honour to be 

Very respectfully 
Yours 

R. E. Lee, Genl 

' The Williamsburg road was one of the main thoroughfares 
from Richmond down the Peninsula. As its name suggests, 
its terminus was the ancient capital of the (^ -.wealth. 

The course of the road can be followed on pr all the 

military maps of the Richmond district. 

* This was Robert Ransom's briga.! ' .f the 24th, 
25th, 26th, 35th and 49th North i mtry, with 
Burroughs' cavalr>', two companies of North Carolina cavalry 
and Graham's battery. These troop>s had been on the south 
si«le of the James, near Petersburg, as a part of the defensive 
forces there but had been removed to join Lee when McClellan 
pressed him (O. R., 13, 3, 613). The brigade had been in 
service but two months (O. R., 13, 2, 792). 

* Sec Ransom's report (O. R., 13, 2, 792). Part of his 
brigade was engaged from 11 A.\f.. until sunset. Casualties 
were small. 

* Ransom's troops were serving with Hugcr's division at 



14 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 5. 

H°-QRS: 25 June '62 
His Exce' 
Pres: Davis 

I really do not know enough about W"" D. 
Smith^ to speak of his qualifications, or to say whether 
he would answer for the position — He must know 
but little of Coast defense. If Huger will answer 
send him — Genl. R. H. Anderson can replace him — 
There was an attack upon Hugers lines this mor^ & 
he was absent I am told — Not at his qrs: this mor^ 
I have just sent him an order to take his position 
with his troops & to remain with them.^ 

Very resp^ 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

this time, hence the order to the division commander {Cf. 
O. R., 13, 3, 617.) 

' William Duncan Smith of Georgia (i 826-1 862), West 
Point graduate, colonel of the 20th Georgia regiment and 
brigadier-general by commission of March 7, 1862, He was 
placed in command of the district of South Carolina in June, 
1862, but died of fever in October (C. M. H., 6, 437-38)- 

* Immediately after the battle of Seven Pines, Huger's 
division had been placed in advance on the Williamsburg 
road, occupying the ground abandoned June 2. He was not 
disturbed until June 18, when the 53rd Virginia, serving on 
picket line, was attacked. Little of importance transpired 
until June 25, but on that day Ransom's brigade reinforced 
Huger and participated in a brisk skirmish. A part of the 
Confederate line was lost but was recovered later in the day. 
Walker's brigade reached Huger on June 26 but was soon 
moved, leaving Huger alone to defend the Confederate right 



The Seven Days' Battle 15 

No. 6. 

Headquarters 
DoBns House 

26 June 1862 
His Excell'cy 
Jeff'. Davis 
Presid*. &c 

vSiR 

A note just received from General Jackson this 
morning states that in consequence of the high water 
& mud, his command only reached Ashland last 
night.' It was his purpose to resume his march this 

when Lcc began the Seven Days' Fight with an assault on the 
Federal right (see Hugcr's report, no. 307, O. R., 13, 2, 787 fT.). 
' This letter was written at the beginning of the Seven 
Days' Fight, by which McClcUan was driven from the Chicka- 
h«nniny to tlie James and was alir. ' royed. Three days 
after the pr()i)<)sal tliat Jackson a into Pennsylvania, 

and \\ith no intervening correspondence to show the reasons 
for the change, it was decided that Jackson should join Lee 
and reinforce him in an attack on McClellan. Lee wrote on 
that day (June 8): "Should there be nothing requiring your 
1 in the valley, so as to prevent your lca\nng it for a 
. and you can make arrangements to deceive the 
enemy and impress him with the idea of your presence, please 
let me know, that you may unite at the decisive moment with 
the army near Richmond" (O. R., 11, 3, 582-83). Loc's 
plan for attacking McClellan had already taken shape and 
r ' the addition of reinforcements. To deceive the 

i . Lcc determined to send troops to Jackson which 

should be permanently joined to his command but should at 
once be returned to Richmond to participate with the rest 
of Jacks/>n's troops in Ixh^'s assault. .\ccr)rdingly Lawton 
with six regiments from Georgia and Whiting with nine rcgi- 



i6 Lee's Dispatches 

morning at 2.30 ^ I fear from the operations of the 
enemy yesterday that our plan of operations has 
been discovered to them. It seemed to be his pur- 
pose, by his advance on our right yesterday, to dis- 
cover whether our force on that front had been 
diminished. ^ General Jackson writes that there 

merits from Lee's army were dispatched to Jackson. Ths 
latter was instructed to ' ' leave your enfeebled troops to watch 
the country and guard the passes covered by your cavalry 
and artillery, and with your main body, including Ewell's 
divisions and Lawton's and Whiting's command, move rapidly 
to Ashland by rail or otherwise . . ." (0. R., 11, 3, 589, 
June II, 1862). Jackson obeyed orders, and, cleverly con- 
cealing his intentions, moved his whole army from the Valley. 
On Tuesday morning, June 24, the troops had reached Beaver 
Dam on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, eighteen miles 
from Ashland. Lee apparently expected Jackson to move on 
the Ashland the same day, and from that place, to move to the 
Stark Church, whence he was to begin his real advance at 3 a.m., 
June 26 (Alexander, 115-116; G. O., 75, A. N. Va., series 
1862). General Lee's plan was for this movement to begin 
an attack on McClellan's right which was expected to sweep 
that part of his army down the Peninsula and destroy it. 
Jackson's delay in making this advance, and his failure to 
begin his movement from the Stark Church until 10 a.m. 
instead of 3 A.M. has been the subject of much criticism. 
Jackson makes no explanation in his official report (O. R., 
11,2, 552) and the "high water and mud," here referred to 
appear to be the only tenable excuse. For a full statement of 
Jackson's side of the case, see Henderson. 

^ The official order said "at three o'clock, Thursday morn- 
ing, 26th instant." 

3 This surmise was correct. Indeed, McClellan had learned 
of Lee's general plan and of Jackson's approach on June 24. 
A deserter from Jackson's army, who left his command near 



The Seven Days' Battle 17 

was a movement on our extreme left beyond the 
Chickahominy. Our Cavalry pickets were driven 
in that direction, & the telegraph wire near Ashland 
was cut. 

I am most respy 

Your obt servant 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 7. 

[TeUgram] 

Head Quarters 
Army N. Va. 
June 26th 1862. 
His E.xccls 

President Davis 
Sir 

The headquarters of the Commanding General 
today will be on tlic Mechanicsville Turnpike. 
I have the honour to be 

Very respectfully 
Your obt Servt 
R. H. Chilton 

AAG 
[Endorsed] 

A. A. G. to 

Genl Lee 

Ho Qrs Army No Va. 

June 26, 1862. 



^" * ■' '^ tin- 2 1 si. rc[x.rtiHl to McCldlan that Jackson 

* ' Frctlcrick's Hall from Gordonsville, expecting 



i8 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 8. 

[Telegram] 

HoGANs House June 27 62 
Genl. Huga [Huger] 

Genl. Longstreet's Brigade is on the road from 
Hogans House to Dr. Gaines. Genl. A. P. Hill is 
on the road from Walnut Grove Church to Cold 
Harbor via Gaines Mill. Genl Jackson's command 
supported by D. H. Hill is on the road to Cold Har- 
bor turning Pohite Creek. I think it probable that 
the enemy is in force behind Pohite Creek, crossing 
the Chickahominy on his line to Gouldings by Fair 
Oaks Station along your front. If he should dimin- 
ish his forces in front of you or show a disposition 
to abandon his works you must press him, cautiously 
& hold your line at all hazards.^ The New Bridge 

to attack McClellan's rear on the 28th. Prior to this time, 
McClellan seemed to have no idea as to the real plans of 
Lee, and thought that Jackson was at Gordonsville, awaiting 
reinforcements. Even on the 24th, after a vain effort to con- 
firm the report of the deserter, McClellan telegraphed Stanton. 
"I would be glad to learn at your earliest convenience, the 
most exact information you have, as to the position and move- 
ments of Jackson, as well as the sources from which your 
information is derived, that I may the better compare it 
with what I have." Stanton's reply seemed to indicate, in a 
maze of contradictory rumors, his belief that Jackson had 
not joined Lee. On the evening of the 25th, however, McClel- 
lan had a fairly correct idea of the Confederate plan and was 
already preparing to change his base to the James River 
(McClellan's Own Story, 390 ff.). 

' Cf. No. 5 supra and note thereto. As Huger held the 
Confederate right, it was highly important that he should 



riic Seven Days' Halllc 19 

Road is open to us & we must connect with Gcnl. 
Magrudcr. 

R. E. Lee 
12 M. June 27 62. 

Please send this to the Presd't. 
[Endorsed] 

Genl. Lee to Genl. Ilrr.A. 
Mor.ANS House 
June 27, 1862. 
(One enclosure.) 

No. 9. 

Headquarters &c 
XV-BURC. Road 
29 June 1862. 
His Excy Prcsd* Davis 
M' President 
I have the honor to report for your information 
that after the enemy had been driven from the left 
bank of the Chickahominy on the 27lh inst:,' he 

' ow of strcn^'lh and hold liis p<isition in case of attack. 
1: virawal from in front of McCldlan would have over- 
thrown Lcc's entire plan. It would have enabled McClellan 
t«) sweep his centre and left into Richmond before his right 
could be driven past his lines. 

• The action referred to here was the battle of Gaines' 
Mill or first 0>1<! Harbor. Owing to Jackson's tardiness on 
the 25th and his delays on the 26th, this fight really of)cned 
a battle which had been proposed for the previous day. the 
26th. The attack was made by Confc<leratc troops under 
Jackson, A. P. Ilill. D. H. Hill and James I»ngsiroet against 
a strong Fe<leral force well directed by Fitz John Porter. The 



20 Lee's Dispatches 

seemed to have determined to abandon his position 
on the right bank & commenced promptly & quietly 
his arrangements for its evacuation — His intention 
was discovered but his proposed route could not be 
ascertained, though efforts were made all day yester- 
day with that view'' — Having however discovered 
that no movements were made on his part to main- 
tain or recover his communications with York river, 
which were entirely severed by our occupation of the 
York river railroad & the Williamsburg road; his 
only course seemed to me was to make for James 

aim of this attack, as noted, had originally been to crumple up 
that part of McClellan's army on the left or northern bank of 
the Chickahominy River, drive the forces composing it down 
the Peninsula, break McClellan's line along the York River 
Railroad and force him to retreat at a disadvantage. But 
by reason of delays and misunderstandings which have been 
variously explained by different critics, Porter was allowed to 
escape, though hea\aly punished, and was enabled to join 
McClellan in moving his base to the James River. 

^ Cf. Alexander {op. cit., 133): "On the Confederate side 
it was not yet clear what the enemy would do. Ewell's and 
Jackson's divisions had not been seriously engaged, and Ewell's 
was sent down the Chickahominy about seven miles to the 
Despatch Station, to see if they showed any disposition to 
cross the stream and retreat down the Peninsula." Lee was 
confident, early in the day, that no Federal troops remained 
on the north side of the river and, as Alexander points out, 
was only fearful lest McClellan might recross the river. Soon 
after Ewell's move, clouds of dust on the south side showed 
the Federals in motion; but as they occupied roads which 
might enable them to reach the lower bridges on the Chicka- 
hominy, Lee protected the approaches to the river and burned 
the bridges McClellan might have used (Lee's report, O. R., 
II, 2, 492-94)- 



The Sc\<n Days' Hattlc 21 

river & thus open communications with his gun 
boats and fleet' — Thoujjh not yet certain of his route, 
the whole army has been put in motion upon this 
supposition — It is certain that he is south of the 
Chickahominy and can only cross it at or below 
Long bridges^ Gen'. Stuart is on the left bank watch- 
ing his movements in that direction. General 
Jackson will cross to the right bank at Grapevine 
bridge. Gen'. Magruder pursuing down the \V"s. 
Burg road. Gen' Huger on the Charles City, & 
Gen' Longstreet on the Darby town.* The Cavalry 
on the several roads south of the Chickahominy 
have not reported any of his forces in their front — 
I have directed the staff depts to send over to the 
battle ground north of the Chickahominy & secure 
all the public property left there of cver\' description, 
& also that which has been abandoned by the 
enemy in his camp on the south side, where 
their tents are now still standing.* I request that 
these orders may be repeated by the Sec. of War^ 



' This, of course, was what McClcUan did. Orders were 
i ncd to his supix)rtinj: fleet to move into the Jame,s River. 
He joined them at Harrison's Landing; nt't.r h,- <food off Lcc's 
attack at Malvern Hill. 

* This bridge was several miles below tiiat which had been 
used during the previous en^aRements. 

* The original of this order has not been found. Sec Lee's 
abstract of it in his report (op. cit., 494)- 

* Orders not found. Several of the brigade commanders 
— GrcRK, for instance — refer to the vast amount of military 
supplies left by the enemy on the field. 

^ George W, Randolph of Virginia, a grandsor of Thomas 
Jefferson. 



22 Lee's Dispatches 

— Col. Lay^ & Col. Harvey^ have been charged with 
the execution of my directions in this matter on 
the north side of the Chickahominy — 
I am with high respect 

Your obt Servt 

R. E. Lee. 

No. 10. 

Headquarters 
2 July 1862. 
His Excy Presd\ Davis 
M'. President 

The enemy this morning was found to have 
abandoned his position which he held yesterday' 

* George W. Lay, at this time assistant inspector-general. 

' Lieutenant-colonel Edwin J. Harvie, assistant inspector- 
general. Both Lay and Harvie were commended by General 
Lee in his report of the campaign {op. cit., 498). 

' General Lee's previous surmises as to General McClellan's 
change of base had been proved correct. Virtually all that 
he had anticipated in his No. 9, Lee saw fulfilled. The move- 
ments outlined by General Lee on the 29th were carried out, 
though Jackson was again delayed and Magruder did not 
attack with the vigor General Lee had expected. On the 
afternoon of the 29th, Magruder advanced and the so-called 
battle of Savage Station followed. The next day Jackson 
came up. Lee prepared to make the decisive attack of the 
campaign. Again, however, there was a delay which put the 
burden of the battle of Frazier's Farm on Longstreet and Hill 
alone, with no support from Jackson. On July i, McClellan 
was found to be strongly entrenched at Malvern Hill and was 
struck by Lee's combined forces, acting now in comparative 
unity for the first time during the entire campaign. The 
final assault was so long delayed and the position of the enemy 



The Summer of 1862 23 

The heavy rain, his cxtendc^l cavair}', & some in- 
fantry, succeeded in keeping from us this infomiation 
until arrangements could be made to collect our 
troops in some force, which owing to the battle of 
yesterday reaching into the night & unfavorable 
day required some time* — The cavalry is in pursuit. 
Genls. Longstreet & Jackson's commands will l>e 
formed to follow him rapidly, while the main body 
of the army will maintain its position to-day, to 
take care of the wounded, bur>' the dead & collect 
stragglers — Owing to the conflicting reports as to 
the course the enemy has taken, I have detennined 
to send Genls Holmes & Wise's commands back to 
Drury's & Chafins Bluffs respectively.^ Some re- 

so strong that McClcllan could not be dislodged. He re- 
treated during the night. 

* The final attack was not made until "night was approach- 
ing" and "it soon became difl'jcult to distinguish friend from 
foe" (Lee). In connection with General Lee's statement that 
he did not promptly receive the news of McClellan's abandon- 
ment of Malvern Hill, it may well l>e noted that Lee regarded 
"the want of correct and timely information" as a prominent 
reason for his failure to destroy McClellan (Report, loc. cit., 

497). 

* Chaffm's and Drcwry's Blufifs were almost opposite on 
the south and north sides of the James. The Holmes re- 
ferred to here was Major-Gencral Theophilus H. Holmes, 
later lieutenant-general. On Sunday afternoon, June 29, 
Holmes moved three regiments of Colonel Junius Daniel's 
brigade, two light batteries and three companies of cavalry 
to the north side of the James across the pontoon bridge. 
He was joined the same evening by Brigadier-General J. G. 
Walker, ^^nth his brigade and two batteries. These had prexn- 
ously crossed from the southside on the 26th (Holmes' report, 



24 Lee's Dispatches 

ports state that a part of the enemy has crossed to 
the South side of James river with a view of joining 
Gen^ Burnside, While from others it appears, he 
is fleeing down the north bank of the river, covered 
by his gun boats, to connect with his transports. I 
enclose you a note just received from Gen^ Holmes'* — 
Can a good commander be procured for Walker's 
brigade? ^ 

I have the honor to be 

Yr. obt svt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. II. 

Headquarters 
d'' poindexters house 
3 July 1862. 
His Excy Jeff Davis 

&c &c 
M"" President 

I enclose you recent dispatches received from 
Gen^ Stuart' — They leave little doubt in my mind 

O, R., II, 2, 906). Henry A. Wise, on his own responsibility 
but as Holmes' suggestion, sent two regiments from Chaffin's 
Bluff — the 26th and 46th Virginia — and two batteries of 
artillery, Andrews' and Rives', to join Holmes (See Wise's 
report, op. cit., 2, 916). 

'» Not found. 

^ Composed of the 30th Virginia, 3rd Arkansas, 2nd Georgia 
and 27th, 46th and 48th North Carolina regiments. 

* Not found. Stuart's report, however (O. R., 11,2, 519), 
makes it plain that he had become convinced that the Federals 



The Summer u{ 1862 25 

even as to the possibility of the truth of Gen'. M - 
Clt'Uans grand movement across the James river lo 
Rirhmond. Such a movement on his part is hardly 
p».>>ible, but in the uncertainty as to whether they 
^ill be required in advance, I have determined to 
retain for the present in their prest^nt positions the 
commands of Magnidcr, Huger, D. H. Hill & Ran- 
som' — I sliall probably myself go farther down the 
river in the course of the day, unless other informa- 
tion detains me here — 

I have the honor to be 

Your obt. serv^ — 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 12. 

Headquarters &c 
Phillips House 

4 July 1862. 
His Excy. Jeff''. Davis 

President Sec. 
Nr. President 

I have just returned from examining the ground 

were still nio\-inK toward deep water alofiR the northern bank 
of the James and had no intention of crossinR. 

* In other words, instead of sending his army farther down 
the river, with no definite ideas as to McCIcIlan's line of move- 
ment, Loc preferred to keep the troops where they could easily 
bo movc<l across the James in case McClellan proceeded 
thither. They mi^jht, from the positions which they then 
CKcupted, have been moved back either to the Richmond 



26 Lee's Dispatches 

at Westover occupied by the enemy.' I enclose a 
rough sketch =" — The enemy is strongly posted in the 
neck formed by Herring creek & James river — The 
creek is not fordable, below where the road crosses 
it, except for a few hundred years; the rest is marshy 
& deep — ^Above it is fordable for infantry for about 
the same distance — The enemy's batteries occupy 
the ridge along which the Charles City road runs, 
north of the creek, and his gunboats lying below the 
mouth of the creek sweep the ground in front of his 
batteries — Above his encampments which lie on the 
river, his gunboats also extend; where the ground is 
more favorable to be searched by their cannon. As 
far as I can now see, there is no way to attack him 
to advantage ; nor do I wish to expose the men to the 
destructive missiles of his gunboats — Our troops are 
posted in line in his front & closer examinations of 
the ground are being made.^ 

defences or thrown across the James to meet an attack from 
the southside. It is worthy of note that the movement 
which Lee here decided that McClellan did not intend to make 
was precisely that by which a greater general than McClellan, 
Grant, extricated himself from a situation somewhat similar 
to that in which McClellan found himself after his assault on 
Richmond had failed. 

' Westover on the James, where McClellan made his head- 
quarters after his retreat from Malvern Hill, was the ancestral 
home of Colonel William Byrd and was one of the most famous 
seats on the river. It is still standing and in an excellent 
state of preservation. 

" Not found. 

^ Upon his withdrawal from Malvern Hill on the night of 
July I, McClellan proceeded to Westover and Harrison's 



The SuiniiRT of 1862 27 

I fear he is too secure under cover of his boats to 

Ix* driven from his position — I discover no intention 

of cither ascending or crossinj^ tlie river at present — 

Reinforcements liave joined him* & his sick, wounded 

and demoralized troops have been sent down the 

river. » 

I am most respecty 

Yoiu" obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

General. 

Landing where his gunboats were already anchored. Though 
hard pressed by Lee's cavalry, McClcllan n*. >\ 

at this last phase of the campaign and \ e 

small losses he suffered in men and munitions (McCIellan, 
Own Story, 4.^8). 

* Ijcc ajipears to have been mistaken in supposing that 
McCIellan had received reinforcements in any considerable 
numbers. In his dispatch to Lincoln of July 2, 5:30 p.m. 
(O. R.. II. 3. 287-8H), McClcllan says: "I thank you for 
the reinforcements." But subsequent correspondence makes 
it seem probable that the only troops who actually ; ' ' "n 
at this time were those spared from the crews of his ^ 

For Davis* reply to this dispatch, approving Lee's decision 
not t" ■ see O. R.. 11. 3. 631-32. 

* A; ; to the correspondence of this date is the fol- 
lowing letter. From its careful preservation, one can estimate 
the value placed upf>n it by Mr. DaNns. It was captured and 
sent by General Lee to the President, Aug. 24, 1862 (O. R., 
".3. ^95: 1-2. 3. •>4-)- For McClellan's reply, sec ibid., 
11.3, 306. 

Head Qvartkrs Army of Virginia 

Washington, D. C, July 4 '62 
General 

As you have do;:' ' T was a few ' <" 

assigned by the I' tnand of thr vV 



28 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 13. 

Headquarters 
Army N. V^- 
July g^^ 1862. 
His Excellency President Davis 
Sir 
After a thorough reconnaissance of the position 
taken up by the enemy on James River, I found him 

Departments lately under the command of Generals Fremont, 
Banks & McDowell — I avail myself of the first moment after 
ascertaining the strength positions & condition of the force 
thus assigned me to communicate with you — I beg you to 
understand that it is my earnest wish to co-operate in the 
heartiest & most energetic manner with you & that there is 
no service, whatever the hazard or the labor which I am not 
ready to perform with this army to carry out that object — 
That you may understand precisely what means are at my 
disposal for such a purpose & what is expected of me I will 
proceed to give you in detail all the information which will 
enable you to understand precisely my situation and the 
power I have to aid your operations — Do not hesitate to 
suggest frankly & freely to me any views and wishes you may 
entertain in regard to the assistance I can give you — Be as- 
sured that your suggestions will be received with all kindness 
& as far as possible adopted, — I am guided & shall be, by an 
earnest wish to contribute by every possible means within 
my control to the success of your operations. 

You know the history of late peculiar operations in the 
Shenandoah Valley & that Genl Fremont has retired from his 
command by reasons unnecessary to set forth. The forces 
lately under his command & those of Genl Banks all collected 
in the neighborhood of Strasburg & Middletown — They are 
greatly demoraHzed & broken down & unfit for much active 
service for the present — Of some use they can be, but not much 



The SuinincT of 1862 29 

strongly posted and effectually flanked by his Gun- 
boats — In the present condition of our troops I did 
not think proper to risk an attack, on the results of 
which so much depended — I caused field batteries 

for the present — They are scattcretl about and seem to be in 
a constant "stampede" — They number about 23000 men of 
all arms — 

The Army corps of M'^Dowell is about 19000 strong, Ls by 
far the best, & in fact the only reliable portion of my command 
— One Dix-ision is at Manassas the other at Fredericksburg — 

Genl. Sturgis is in command of the forces within & outside 
of the entrenchments near Washin^on. 

They numlx^r abcjut 17000 men mostly raw recruits & 
fragments of broken regiments in no condition for serx-icc — 

My first object is to concentrate all these forces as far as 
practicable in advance of this place both to put them in 
condition for active operations & to have them in hand 
— In this arrangement the security of the Valley of the 
Shenandoah and of the city of Washington must be held in 
view — 

I have therefore broken up the Depots on the Ohio river 
& on the Baltimore & Ohio road, establishing my depots & 
base of operations at Alexandria — I am concentrating the 
two corps of Fremont (now Sigel) & Banks at Luray Gap 
(Siwrryvillc) Banks alxnit five or six miles cast of that place — 
The Division of M'^Dowcll now at Manassas to move forxvard 
to Warrcnton & take post with his cavalry Brigade at Warren- 
ton junction &• strong cavalry pickets south of the Rappahan- 
nock — The diWsion at Fredericksburg pickets the country 
twenty miles in advance of that place — A good stone turnpike 
connects Luray with Warrcnton — It was my purpase Ijcfore 
the news of your critical situation reached here to concen- 
trate the two dix-isions of McDowell at Orange Court House, 
& the corps of Banks & Sigel at Stannards\-illc — Thence to 
occupy Gordonsville long enough to destroy entirely the 
Virginia central road between that place & Hanover Court 



30 Lee's Dispatches 

to play on his forces, and on his transports, from 
points on the river below. But they were too light 
to accomplish much, and were always attacked with 
superior force by the Gunboats — I have caused the 



House — & to move in Charlottesville or a point just east of 
that place with my whole force united — So destroy the railroad 
between Lynchburg & Charlottesville and also by pushing 
cavalry in various directions toward it to destroy the railroad 
from Lynchburg to Richmond — To move down to James river 
at Columbia & to pursue the north (left) bank of the river to- 
ward Richmond at least as far as Tuckahoe creek — To take up 
a strong position behind that creek & throw bridges over the 
James river or secure those now existing within the proposed 
lines so as to be able to return my whole force across to the 
south side whenever it became necessary — Having secured 
these objects to aid you in anyway in the immediate operations 
against Richmond — 

The occurrences of the last few days have deranged their 
plan & I am holding my forces at the points I have designated 
so as to be able by marching rapidly in Gordonsville & Char- 
lottesville to cut off any force which may penetrate into the 
Valley of the Shenandoah from the direction of Richmond 
and at the same time be able to concentrate my whole force 
rapidly in front of Washington in case of necessity — These 
positions I shall hold until some definite news is received & 
some well defined plan of operation and of co-operation be 
determined on — It seems to me that it will not be difficult 
for the enemy at Richmond to detach fifty thousand to march 
rapidly in Washington if it be uncovered by the movement of 
the forces now under my command — 

Much of my cavalry I am keeping in the Valley of the 
Shenandoah, and as soon as my forces are established as I 
have designated they will be pushed as far south as Swift run 
Gap & Harrisonburg — 

I have entrenched a Brigade of Infantry with our battery 



The Sununcr o( 1862 31 

army to fall back to a f>osition higher up the river, 
in order to meet the enemy should he again advance 
on Richmond, leaving the cavalry to watch his 
movements below — I have returned to my old quar- 

at Winchester — A somewhat smaller force will \xi f>osted in 
like manner at Romney — The small posts at Clarksburg, 
Beverly Buckhannon &'c all placed under charge of Genl Kelly 
who has some force also on the railroad — The care & protec- 
tion of the road has been assigned to Genl Wood so that I am 
foot loose in that region — I have directed Genl Cox who has 
about 12000 men in the Kanawha Valley near Levsnsburg to 
maneu\Tc so as to get Heth & Humphrey Marshall between 
himself and Lexington or Lynchburg & then to follow them 
through to Lexington by the Turnpike »S: oi>en communication 
w*ilh Staunton or Charlottesville abandoning entirely his line 
to Pt Pleasant on the Ohio & calling in his small p>osts 
— Of course this movement will de{)en(l ujxjn whether my 
operations toward Charlottesxnllc and Richmond are carried 
out — 

You now know my position & resources — A moveable force 
of forty three thousand men (nineteen thousand effective) 
posted as I have detailed to you are all I have and I am made 
responsible for the security of this city — 

I trust you will communicate your wishes to me & give me 
the benefit of any \'iews & suggestions which will enable me 
to aid you — I nec«l not repeat that I stand prepared to do all 
in my power for that purpose. 

I am very rcsF>ectfully 
Your obt ser\'t 

J NO Pope 

Maj Genl Comd 
Army of Virginia 
Maj Gksl G. B. McCleujvn 

Comd Army of the Potomac 
on James river 



32 Lee's Dispatches 

ters at Dobb's house, & will proceed at once to re- 
organize our forces for active operations. ' We have 
lost many valuable officers whose places must be 
supplied, and our thinned ranks must be filled as 
rapidly as possible — 

I have the honour to be 

Very respectfully 
Your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Gen. 

^ The order for "the army to fall back to a position higher 
up the river" had been given the previous day, July 8, 1862. 
Jackson was to take position on the Mechanicsville turnpike, 
north of Richmond, Longstreet on CorneHus creek, between 
the Central railroad and James river, D. H. Hill was to re- 
sume his former position of the Williamsburg road and Stuart 
was left to watch McClellan (0. R., 11, 3, 636-37). As 
this dispatch practically concludes the Seven Days' campaign 
it may be noted here that General Lee never explained in 
detail or complained of the reasons for the miscarriage of his 
plans. In a sense he had achieved a most remarkable victory. 
McClellan's boasted attack on Richmond had ended in a 
hurried retreat and a campaign of conquest had degenerated 
into a scamper for the protecting cover of gunboats. The 
whole aspect of the war in Virginia had been changed and 
the enemy had been driven from positions which they were 
not to resume for two years. Yet General Lee insisted in his 
published report and critics have maintained ever since that 
while much was gained, as much more might have been 
achieved. In the opening attack at Gaines' Mill, at the battle 
of Savage Station and, to a less degree at Malvern Hill, 
golden opportunities, readily discerned by General Lee, had 
been lost by lieutenants. Had Lee's campaign been carrie(J 
out as planned, it would have been possible with precisely 
the resistance encountered, to have virtually annihilated 



The Suniincr of 1862 33 

Xo. 14. 

H'^ Qrs. Dohhs' House 
To iii'> July 1 802. 

H. E. The President 
Sir. 

In reference to my conversation vsnth you when 
I had last the honoiu" of seeing you, should Cicn' 
R. H. Anderson be promotetl as then recommended,* 
I would respectfully recommend Col: M. Jenkins 
to be made Brii^'adier General in his place. Col 
Jenkins has been repeatedly recommendetl for pro- 
motion by officers with whom he has ser\'ed, and his 
conduct at the battle of the Seven Pines, was worthy 
of all commendation. He has also in the recent 
battles, shown great skill. Since the battle of the 
S<,*ven Pines, four Colonels jimior to him have been 
appointed Brigadier Generals, I would therefore 
suggest if practicable, that Col. Jenkin's promotion 
be dated from the battle of the Seven Pines, 

McClcUan's army. Alexander, who is in some respects the 
best critic of this campaign, frankly places the blame for the 
miscarria^je of Lee's plan on General Jackson. He has strong 
evidence and Kood reasoning to supjwrt his case. Be that 
as it may, General Lcc was certainly disappointed but he 
refrained from censure and would not be drawn into a contro- 
versy with Magruder on the subject. And if Jackson was 
not himself during' this •;. he more than made amends 

in that which followed 1 .Manassas, 

• On July 4, 1862, Richard Henry Anderson (sec supra. 
No. 3) was promote*! major-Rcneral and was assi>,'nc«! to 
the command of a division under I^ingstrcet, com|x>scd of 
Armislead's, Mahone's and Wright's brigades. 



34 Lee's Dispatches 

31st May, so as to restore him to his relative 
rank.^ 

I have the honor to be 
With high respect 
Your ob*- Serv* 

R. E. Lee, 

Genl. 

No. 15. 

H'' Qrs. 25 July 1862. 
His Excel Jeffn. Davis 
President C. S. 
Sir 

I have had the honour to receive your letter of 
today in reference to the disposition of the Louisiana 

^ Micah Jenkins of South Carolina (i 839-1 864) came to 
Virginia as commander of the 5th South Carob'na, D. R. 
Jones' brigade. He was recommended for promotion by 
Beauregard and Longstreet but fought R. H. Anderson's old 
brigade during the Peninsula campaign while ranking as 
colonel. On July 22, 1862, the commission requested by 
Lee in this letter was issued Jenkins. His brigade became 
attached to Longstreet's corps a little later and its commander 
grew to be a great personal friend of Longstreet. In the 
second day of the Wilderness fight, May 6, 1864, Jenkins 
was mortally wounded while riding with Longstreet. The 
latter (from Manassas, etc., 566) pays this feeling tribute to 
him: "But Micah Jenkins, who fell by the same fire, was no 
more. He was one of the most estimable characters of the 
army. His taste and talent were for military service. He 
was intelligent, quick, untiring, attentive, zealous in discharge 
of duty, truly faithful to official obligations, abreast with the 
foremost in battle and withal a humble, noble Christian. In 
a moment of highest earthly hope he was transported to 



The SiiiiiiiiLT of 1862 35 

troops. In accordance with what I understood to be 
your wishes yesterday I had directed the 5^-6^-7^-81 & 
14* rcj;ts; Wheats Batt° & Gerardeys field battery 
to constitute the brigade under Gen' Taylor with 
Jackson.' If Huger is promoted a Brigadier & Gcnl. 
Taylor detached, it will accord with the views of 
your letter to-day — The i»* 2°^ & 10' regts; the 
Zouave Chasseurs Col: Coppens the 3*^ batt° Col: 
Pendleton to constitute the brigade in tliis Army 
under such officer as you may appoint' — I shall 
assign it to the division of Gen' NKLaws. 

In regard to sending at once the loth regt: to 

serenest heavenly joy: to that life beyond that knows no bujjle 
call, beat of drum or clash of steel. May his beautiful spirit, 
through the mercy of God, rest in fx?ace! Amen!" 

' In the organiziition reported July 23, 1862, Richard Tay- 
lor's brigade, Ewell's division, T. J. Jackson's "command" 
(- '.as comix)sed of the 6lh, jlh. 8th and 9th Louisiana 

r v\-ith the 1st Louisiana special battalion, Captain 

Harris. The 5th I^iuisiana was attached to the brigade of 
r - ' Paul J. Scmmcs, McLaws' divi • ' ' ;th 

! I was in Pryor's brigade, Lo: n. 

Girardey's battery was with R. H. Anderson's dinsion. 

•This would have been a brigade dr ' -n various 

existing commands. The ist Louisiana i to A. R. 

Wri.:ht's brigade, R. H. Anderson's division, the 2d Louisiana 
t» Cobb's brigade, McLaws' di\'ision, the 9th to Taylor's 
bri^'ade, Jackson's division, the loth to Semmes' brigade, 
McLau-s' dix-ision, Coppens* battalion to Pryor's brigade, 
Longstrect's dixn.sion and the 3rd 1 ' toJ.R. A * "s 

brigade. A. P. Hill's divi.sion. Ti .ttaiion 1 he 

I5lh regiment. The question was finally settled by making 
the 1st. the 9th. the 15th (3rd battalion), r * ' talion 

and the ad and loth into a brigade of McL i. 



36 Lee's Dispatches 

La: that you must direct as you judge best. I think 
though agreeable to the regt: it will create dissatis- 
faction with those that remain, & establish in other 
regts: a precedent for granting their claims to return 
home which have not been recognized. It will also 
diminish the strength of this army by 607 good men.^ 

In regard to detaching Gen^- Taylor, his presence 
in La; will no doubt hasten the enrolment & expedite 
the recruiting of regts: If it should establish his 
own health, it will be an additional benefit to the 
service. I would therefore on the latter ground alone 
recommend it."^ The remnant of Wheats batf had 
better be placed under Capt. Atkins — 

If you have any other directions to give on this 
subject please state them. 

I am most respy . 

Your obt servt. 
R. E. Lee Genl 

No. 16. 

Head Quarters 
Army N. V^. 

July 25^^ 
His Excellency 

President Davis 
M"" President 

I have read with care the telegram signed J. 

^ The regiment remained with the army (S. O. No. 163, 
A. N. Va., series 1862, paragraph 2, O. R., 13, 3, 656). 

^ General Taylor was Richard Taylor of Louisiana (1826- 
1879), only son of President Zachary Taylor. He came to 



The Siiinmcr oi 1862 37 

Walker from Hanover Junction* — His statements 
dilTer from those of t\v<; spies (Texans) who arrived 
from Washinjjlon to-day — These say that Pope with 
the greater portion of his forces is at Warrenton; 
that there are but three Regiments of infantry about 
Fredericksburg, (at Falmouth) the cavalry being on 
this side the river. They estimate Pope's force at 
about thirty five thousand men, and report about 
eight thousand men in Washington and Alexandria, — 
and further that seven heavy gims of the fourteen 
conmianding the approaches to the Long Bridge, 
have been sent to M'Lellan since he reached James 
River.* 

I have the honour to be 
with the highest respect 
Your obt servant 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

Virginia as colonel of the 9lii Louisiana but quickly assumed 
command of Walker's briRadc with which he scr\'ed through 
the Seven Daj's* Battle. On Jackson's recommendation he 
was promoted major-general. In accordance wnth this letter, 
he was sent to I>iuisiana as commander of the forces in that 
Stale west of the .Mississippi. T" »M^ 'lifTicult position he 
acquitted himself admirably. 

' y !. 

* i ... . .:c first letter of the series relating to the Second 
Manassas campaign. FoUowng the collapse of McClellan's 
Peninsula campaign, the Fc<leral forces were reorganized for 
a new attack by way of Northern Virginia. On June 26, 
Major-General John Pope had been assigned to the command 
of a new army stykxl the "Army of Virginia" and comfxised 
of the forces under Fremont. Ranks and McDowell. The 
immediate purpose of this change was to consolidate the 



38 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 17. 

H°-Qrs:26'^ Jidy '62. 
His Exce'. Jeff" Davis 

President C. S. 
M'' President 

I enclose for your information a letter from Gen^ 
Jackson.' He seems to be of the opinion that he 

scattered forces and to place under a stern leader soldiers whose 
discipline had become lax. The Federal government aimed 
to use this army, when ready, to defend Washington in case 
Jackson should again advance, to keep the Shenandoah 
Valley under Federal control and to harass Lee's line of 
communications around Gordonsville. Early in August, 
the bulk of McClellan's army was directed to join Pope in 
a new forward movement. Before this could be launched, 
however, Lee was free from the necessity of watching McClel- 
lan and moved northward. The battle of Second Manassas 
followed. The spies' information cited by General Lee in 
this letter was erroneous in every essential detail. Pope was 
in Washington; his main army was around Sperryville, not 
Warrenton; instead of three regiments at Fredericksburg, 
King's entire division was there. Pope had not 35,000 men 
but about 43,000. Others were coming forward. 

' Not found, but see Lee's reply, O. R., 12, 3, 917. Pope 
began his movement against Gordonsville on July 14 by 
ordering Brigadier-General Hatch to advance from Culpeper 
with his cavalry and destroy the Virginia Central railroad 
around Gordonsville. Hatch understood the order to be for 
the advance of his entire command and was so handicapped 
by the slow progress of his troops along muddy roads that he 
did not reach Madison C. H. until July 17 (0. R., 12, 3, 
23-24). In the meantime, on July 13, Lee had ordered 
Jackson to proceed from Mechanicsvillc to Louisa C. H., and 
thence to Gordonsville to meet the Federal advance (S. O. 



The Summer of 1862 39 

is too weak to encounter Pope & I fear Pope is too 
strong to be allowed to remain so near our communi- 
cations. He ought to be suppressed if possible. I 
would have sent A. P. Hill['s] division as I stated to 
you, but have no one to command it. Branch is the 
Sc^nior Brigadier & I cannot trust the division to him.* 
I feel that it will Ix? necessary to reinforce him before 
he can do anything & yet I fear to jeopardize the 
division of this army, upon which so much depends.* 
If the impression made by Morgan in Kentucky 
could be confirmed by a strong infantry force, it 

A. N. Va., No. 150, scries 1862, par. 3, O. R., 12, 3, 915). 
Jackson's vanpuard reached GordonsWllc on July 16 and 
Jackson him.self made his hcatlquarters near-by on July 19 
(sec his report, O. R., 12, 2, 181). His force at the time con- 
sisted of his owTi and Ewell's divisions. Although Hatch's 
attempt was alxirtive, Jackson foresaw a general advance 
and asked for reinforcements. 

* Hill's "light division" was sent to Jackson the next day 
(O. R., 12, 3, 91 q). The General Branch mentioned here 
was Lav\Tcnce O' Brian Branch of North Carolina (1820- 1862) 
who commandetl a brigade composed of the 7th, 1 8th, 28th, 

33rd and 37th North CaroU- ■'■ '^' ■ ' ' ■ -n 

of General Branch was doi; .- 

parativc inexi)cricncc. It certainly could not have been 

ff^ ' ' n any di ' his l)raver>' or ability, for Branch 

h.. ; most i: during the Seven Days' campaign 

and had let! a command conspicuous for its braver>*. When 
Branch was killed . • "' — burg, the same year, Hi!' '1 
" he was my senior r and the one to whom I * e 

intrusted the command of the division vs-ith all confidence " 
(C. M. H., 4, 290-300). 

* McClellan, it must be remembered, was still at Harrison's 
Landing. 



40 Lee's Dispatches 

would have the happiest effect ^ — If he is obliged to 
fall back, the reaction may produce the same result 
as in Mo: Where is Genl Marshall ?s Now is the 
time for him to go in — But if Bragg could make a 
move/ or with E. K. Smith & Loring, it would 
produce a great effect. ^ Do you think anything can 
be done. I go to Drurys bluff to-day 

Very resp^ 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 
No. i8. 

30*^ July 1862. 
H. E. The President 

Richmond, 
Si% 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 

'• John H. Morgan, acting brigadier, had left Knoxville on 
July 4, 1862, with 900 men and had made a most successful 
raid through those parts of Kentucky under Federal domina- 
tion. At the time of this letter he had aroused the Federals 
almost to a panic, had "travelled over one thousand miles, 
captured 17 towns, destroyed all the government supplies 
and arms in them, dispersed about 1,500 home guards and 
paroled near 1,200 troops." His losses had been about 90. 

^ Brigadier-General Humphrey Marshall, a powerful poli- 
tical figure in Kentucky and a great force with the people. 
He had resigned June 16, 1862, but had been reappointed by 
Mr. Davis four days later. Cf. Lee to Randolph; Loring to 
Randolph, O. R., 12, 3, 922. 

^ Braxton Bragg had assumed command of the army of 
Tennessee on June 17, 1862, and was at this time near Tupelo, 
Miss., preparing for a campaign into Tennesseee. 

^ E. Kirby Smith was in command of an independent army 



The SmiinKi of 1862 41 

the letter of Col. Smith 49th Va. Reg' referred to me 
by ycni.' 

In reply to a letter from Col. Smith to myself on the 
same subject, I informed him that I could not detach 
hisreg'. soas to give him an independent command, 
and that I could only gratify his wishes so far as to 
order liis reg'. to the army of Gen'. Jackson as soon as 
an opportunity occurred. I have now written to Col. 
Smith informing him that I would attach his reg*. to 
the brigade of Gen'. Early, if that will meet his views.' 
I dtvrn it inexpe<^lient to divide the army by creating 
independent commands especially at a time when we 
require the unite<l efforts of all the forces we can col- 
lect at the principal points threatened by the enemy. 
Should you think it proper however to direct that his 
regiment be detached as an independent command, 
it will give me pleasure to carry out your wishes.^ 
I have the honor to be, 
Very respectfully 
Your obt Servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. Comm. 

in East Tennessee and W. W. Lorinj; was in command in 
Southwest Virginia. Both were adjacent to the tc-ritory in 
which Bra^^'K proposed to operate. 

• Not f<nind. 

* Smith's command had already been changed from one 
I,.- • ,...-... h Vir- 

y: r-Gen- 

cral W. S. Fealherstone, Rains' division. During the Seven 

n ■ • • • — • • ■ r- 

' Back of this letter and of William Smith's request for an 



42 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 19. 

H^-Qrs: 31 July '62 
His Exce'. Jeff'' Davis 

Pres: C. S. 
M'* President 

I enclose a letter for your private perusal just 
rec'^ from Gen' Jackson. He seems to be in trouble 
about his Cav'^ Commander. The field of service 
will be too extended to be properly superintended 
by Genl Stuart, unless he is relieved from the com- 
mand here.' I cannot spare Gen' Fitz Lee, as by 
so doing it will defeat the object of his promotion. 
Viz his services here. ^ I have written to Jackson to 

independent command is a rather interesting chapter in Con- 
federate history. Smith, who had been Governor of Virginia, 
was a brave, true man but had not had military experience. 
At the outbreak of the war, he offered his services to the govern- 
ment and was accepted. He rose to the rank of brigadier- 
general and was later named as major-general, retiring to 
become Governor of Virginia again. But like so many poli- 
ticians of his day, he wished the opportunity of distinguishing 
himself by a separate command. Thus Wade Hampton, 
Cobb and Wise all organized "legions" at the first call to 
arms. All these separate commands, except those like Mosby's 
Rangers, were later put into the line and did good service. 
General Lee steadfastly declined to encourage such separate 
organizations. A biography of Smith has been written by 
J. W. Bell (N. Y., 1891). 

' The "extended" "field of operations" was from the lower 
Richmond defences on the James River to the outposts beyond 
Gordonsville, where Jackson had three divisions. 

^ Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee, had been assigned 
on July 28, 1862, to the command of the second cavalry bri- 



The SumniLT of 1862 43 

know if there is any one in his Command that he 
woiilJ prefer to Robertson. Probably Jackson may 
expect too much, & Robertson may be preparing his 
men for service, which I have understood they much 
needed. With uninstructed officers, an undisci- 
plined brigade of Cav' is no trifling undertaking 
& requires time to regulate* — Please return me 
the enclosed letters — 

With liigh esteem Your obt. servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

gadc, comprising the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th Virginia rc^- 
ments. 

^ The point at i.ssue is not clear, as the letter to Lee from 
Jackson does not apjxjar. Beverley IL Robertson was a 
graduate of WVsl Point and had \)ccn colonel of the 5th Vir- 
ginia cavalry. Serving with Jackson in the Valley he had 
been made brigadier-general after the battle of Kelly's Ford 
and had * mand of Ashl)y's famous "Laurel 

Brigade," : iie 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 12th Virginia 

cavalry and the 17th Virginia cavalr>' battalion. It would 
ap|x>ar that Jackson wa^ " ■ ' • • ., • nn's com- 
mand of his tnxips and w! > ol. W. E. 
Jones. On Aug. 8, General Lee vsTote Jackson: "As regards 
r. ' "^ ' -i I ^^^11 to-day sec the ' " War. 
T _ t easily arranged, and wi* -g any 
of the circumstances attending it except as related by you, 
I fear ' ' ! upon hi Neither 
am I of the (i I'ol. W. E. 
Jones, though having for him a high esteem, to say whether 
h ' ' -' ■ -ed" (O. R.. I r'O. Cf. \o. 37. infra. 
I' i that Roller- . :itted himself gallantly 
in the Second Mana;;sas campaign and won special mention 
from General Lcc for a gallant charge {ibid., 2, 55S-59: for 



44 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 20. 

H'' Qrs: 2 Aug. '62. 
His Exce'. Jeff'' Davis 

Pres: C. S. 
M'' President 

In communicating to Genl M^Clellan your instruc- 
tions to me relative to alleged murders Committed, 
on our citizens by officers of the U. S. Army, in the 
oases of W" B. Munford & Col: John Owen &c &c, 
& in relation to the cartel for a general exchange of 
prisoners [&]c, would it be proper, or is it your 
desire, for me to send the copies of those papers, 
or shall I embody their contents in a letter from 
myself — 

The reason I ask is, if the papers sent me are 
frw*^ — they may carry mine aright. But there may 
be objections to this course.' 

I am with great respect 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

Robertson's report, see ibid., 2, 746). It is not improbable 
that Robertson, who retained his command, had experienced 
difficulty in disciplining the Laurel Brigade which, while 
brave to the point of foolhardiness, had not previously adjusted 
itself to the strict regimen of military life. 

' Davis' instructions were included in his letters of July 31, 
1862, and Aug. i, 1862, the latter covering a letter of June 29, 
1862 (O. R., series 2, 4, 630, 635, and 792). These related 
to murders committed by Federals in New Orleans and Mis- 
souri and to violation by the Federals of the cartel for the 
exchange of prisoners agreed on between Generals D. H. Hill, 
C. S. A., and John A. Dix, U. S. A. 



Second Manassas 45 

No. 21. 

IPQ" A. N. Va. 
4lh Aug. 1862. 
H. E. Tho President, 
Sir. 

In R'ply tu your letter of the 2"^ inst; I have the 
honor to intomi you, that upon reflection, I deemed 
it proper to embody your letters to myself, in letters 
over my own sij^nature, addressed to the Genl. 
Command' U. S. A. I thought this course prefer- 
able to sending copies of your letters to the enemy.* 
The two communications were sent yesterday 
moniing by flag of truce. 

I am Sir; very respectfully, 

Your obt. servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 22. 

H^-Ors: 14 Aug '62. 
His Exce' Jeff" Davis 
Pres: of the C. S. 
M' President 

I have made all arrangements for the well being 
of the troops around Richmond. I have given 

• Davis in his letter of \\x^. 2, 1862 (O. R., scries 2, 4, 838), 
left to General Lee "the Ix^t method of conducting a corre- 
spondence relating to military matters." He added: "It was 
my intention that copies of the letter . . . should be emlxxlied 
in your own letter to the Fetleral general, but if you think it 
better to modify the arrangement I will he glad to have you 
do so." 



46 Lee's Dispatches 

instructions to Genl Smith/ & Col: Gilmer^ in refer- 
ence to the defences & have placed the former in 
Command of the troops on both sides of the river — 
The aggregate of the four divisions, present & absent, 
amounts to 72.047 men. 

From every account that reaches me the enemy- 
is accumulating a large force in Culpeper.^ Three 

' Gustavus W. Smith, major-general and senior officer on 
the James after the removal of a large part of the army to Gor- 
donsville. For Lee's instructions to him, see 0. R., 11, 3, 
677. General Lee wrote in part: "From your general know- 
ledge of the affairs of this army, its objects and position, I deem 
no instructions necessary, beyond the necessity of holding 
Richmond to the last extremity should an attack be made upon 
it. The lines of defence on both sides of the river should be 
completed as soon as possible, and every attention given to 
the organization, instruction and discipline of the troops. . . . 
Should you be able to ascertain whether General McClellan 
is diminishing his force athispresentposition,pleaseletmeknow 
and to what points they are being sent. It may be necessary 
in that event to reduce your force correspondingly or to with- 
draw it entirely. I wish you to keep this constantly in view." 

^ Colonel J. F. Gilmer, chief of the engineering corps, who 
was especially instructed to make a careful examination of 
the fortifications of Richmond and Petersburg (O. R., 11, 3, 
668, 679-80). 

3 The movement here outlined marked the beginning of the 
Second Manassas campaign. When he had retired to West- 
over and Harrison's Landing at the close of the Seven Days* 
Fight, McClellan had insisted that if reinforcements were 
sent him he could march on Richmond and capture the city. 
While he was arguing the matter with the War Department, 
Pope was recalled from the West, as mentioned above, and 
was entrusted with the reorganization of the Federal forces 
in Northern Virginia. Unable to agree with Halleck, now 
virtual commander-in-chief, as to the number of new troops 



Seconal Manascas 47 

deserters from Bumside came in today, & report 
that he reached Fred[oricksbur)' with 12000, & 
rec'* 21 regts: after his arrival there. They were 
old troops & came via Aquia creek. They did not 
know where from. What do you think of the pro- 
priety of withdrawing R. H. Andersons division from 
here to Gordonsvilk?* It amounts to 13,142 aggre- 
gate. This would leave an aggregate here of about 

I ■ Richmond, McC* •" • * 1 for a forward 

I .1 Lev, who, he ; 1 2oo,ooo men. 

Hallcck would not approve such a project and expressed his un- 
V ■■ k on the line of the J " <n 

i in the troops the laf cd 

he must have. It was thereupon decided to withdraw the 
army f n • ' ^lmcs and to be^jin another r t from 

the Rap; k. On August 13, i86j, M began 

to send his troops away on transports. In the meantime, as 
h:is l>oon noted, Lee, : ' a part of his forces to Gonlons- 

ville to nuvt the ti; advance from that direction. 

Two weeks after Jackson moved, A. P. Hill was ordered to 
support him and the two met Po[)c at Cedar Mountain, re- 
pulsed him and won a victory. On the very day that Mc- 
Clellan began to withdraw, Longstreet went to reinforce 
J ' '. ' ' ' ' lin, Lcc • of the 

) until al .e, but 

he had concluded that McClcUan would leave the James 
(see O. R., 1 1 As it ' to 

strike Pojx? " ime to»j rd 

a possible movement up the James. He felt, in a word, that he 

I • • • • .,d 

a .V- 
ing only a small force to watch McClellan. This letter is his for- 
mal r ' *■ 'v. 

*.\ . K.. 

n.3. 679). 



48 Lee's Dispatches 

60,000. In addition to the four divisions above 
stated, the two N. C. regts: from SaUsbury & Lynch- 
burg are ordered to D. H. Hill.^ This will add about 
1300 men to his strength. I thought they would 
do better then, having not yet been in the field & 
give them a better opportunity for instruction & to 
pass through the camp diseases. I did this in anti- 
cipation of the necessity of withdrawing Hill or M^- 
Laws — Unless I hear from you to the Contrary I 

shall leave for G at 4 a.m. tomorrow.^ The 

troops are accumulating there & I must see that ar- 
rangements are made for the field. I rec^ a letter 
from Longstreet to-day requesting my presence.^ 
I will keep you informed of everything of importance 
that transpires — When you do not hear from me, 
you may feel sure that I do not think it necessary 
to trouble you. I shall feel obliged to you for any 
directions you may think proper to give. 

I learn that Genl Johnston will soon return to 
Richmond. He is riding on horseback every day 
& he is gaining his strength rapidly.^ 

Wishing you every happiness & prosperity 
I am with high esteem 
Your obt. servt 

R. E. Lee, Genl. 

s The 42nd, Col. G. C. Gibbs, and the 57th, Lt.-Col. H. C. 
Jones. 

^ Lee's correspondence of Aug. 15 is dated from Gordonsville. 

7 Not found, but see Lee to Longstreet, Aug. 15, 1862 
(O.R., 11,3, 676). 

^ General Joseph E. Johnston, whom Lee had succeeded 
when the former was wounded at Seven Pines. 



Second Manassas 49 

8 P.M. 

P. S. — A note just rcc^ from Gcnl G. II. Hill says 
he has sent reliable scouts to ascertain M'l 's 
[McClellan's) condition, & that there can be no 
duubt but that Porters corps has leff REL 

No. 23. 

GORDONSVILLE 

10 Aug '62 
His Exce' Jeff'* Davis 

Pres: of the C. States 
M' President 

I think it certain that Gen'' Burnsides & King 
with their troops from Fred' have joined Genl Pope 
at Culpeper Ct House. • Their numbers are vari- 
ously estimated, reaching as high as 40,000.' Put- 
ting them at 20,000, Popes force according to Genl 
Jacksons estimate will be between 65,000 & 70,000 — 
This corresponds \snth accounts of intelligent men 
from Culpeper. Two citizens who had been taken 
prisoners made their escape from Culpeper Ct House 
yestertlay & say from overheard conversations the 

• This information was correct. Porter's (Fifth) Corps 
had started its movement on this date (O. R., 12, 2, 465). 

' On AuR. I, 1862. nurnsiclclcft Xcw] ^' ' * ^^ 

from Hallcck and on the nij^ht of .Xuj;. .v 
He took position at Falmouth, near Fre<lcricksburK, and his 
whole command, 12,000 v~ in place on Au^'. 9 

(O. R., 12, 3. 554). He n. '. on Au^'. 12. Kin>;'s 

division left Falmouth on Aur. 9-10 and joine<l Pope late in 
the af' if .Xuf:. ii (O. R.. 12. 3. 560. 562. y 

* L< latc of 20,000 in the next sentence, v l 

correct. 

4 



50 Lee's Dispatches 

federals estimate themselves at 92,000.3 They re- 
port nothing but provisions coming by R. R. from 
Alex^ which is constantly arriving — No troops unless 
they are drawing men from M'^Clellan. I do not see 
where they will get them at present. I hope to 
hear every day of Imbodens success in his attempt 
on the B. & 0. R. R. He started from Stanton 
sometime since with about 600 men & by his own 
calculations would have reached the trestle work 
four or five days since. We must make allowance 
for delays & difficulties." I hope he will be in time 
to arrest troops from the West — Report from Genl. 

3 It is not easy to state precisely Pope's strength from time 
to time during this campaign, owing to his habit of consistently 
understating his forces. Longstreet {Manassas, etc., 195) 
thinks Pope had 63,000 men at the time of battle of Second 
Manassas, while Alexander {Memoirs, etc., 191) states that 
Pope's whole army numbered 90,000. On Aug. 20, four days 
after this letter was written, Pope telegraphed Halleck that 
he had 45,000 men for duty (O. R., 12, 3, 603). This is 
manifestly an understatement since McDowell's corps (Third), 
which Pope stated to be 18,000 on Aug. 20, reported 23,765 
as the aggregate present on Aug. 16 {ibid., 580). Others 
were in proportion to this difference. In his official report. 
Pope stated that his forces on Sept. i numbered 62,000 
(ibid., 2, 44). 

^ Col. John D. Imboden, commanding the ist Virginia 
Partizan Rangers, had gone into Western Virginia in the hope 
of striking the line of Federal communications with the west 
by tearing up the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. He was 
joined on Aug. 22 by Brigadier-General A. G. Jenkins; but, 
though they met with considerable success, they did not have 
enough men to tear up the railroad. Imboden filed no report, 
but see his letter to C. W. Russell, Sept. i, 1862, O. R., 12, 
3, 949 ff. Jenkins' report is in ibid., 2, 757. 



Second Manassas 51 

French to-day M'Clcllan is still sending ofT troops,* 
& I see a letter published in the Phil' Enquirer of 
the 13'** from its Fort Monroe correspondent, stat- 
ing that the mail boat from Harrisons landing had 
reached Old Point 1 1 Aug. & that the indications 
were that a movement of the whole or a large part 
of the anny was about taking place. If it was going 
up the river, I suppose it would have been discovered 
before this. If down, they must again be about to 
change their base of operations — It may be that this 
part of the country is to be the scene of operations. 
In that event the War will for a season at least be 
removed from Richmond & I would recommend that 
the troops be removed too. The Garri.sons can be 
kept up & the defences in every particular perfected. 
The completion of the Richmond should be pushed 
forward with all vigour & in a short time she would 
clear the river. I think the health as well as disci- 
pline of the Army will be benefited by a change to 
the Country from the town & the city itself receive 
a more healthy atmosphere — If it can be ascertained 
that M'Clellan is moving, unless his quarters can 
be beaten up, I would recommend that another 
di\nsion follow Andersons.' 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee, Genl. 

» Cf. S. G. French to S. Cooix-r, A. C, Au^. 16, 1862: "A 
lieutenant . . . reports that from i p.m. yesterday up to this 
nvrriinR io8 vessels passed down the river and 8 up; only 
5 ;irc refxjrteil \Wlh tnK>ps" (O. R., ii, 3, 680). 

•The last of McClcllan's troops left Aug. 16, 1862, the 



52 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 24. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond Aug 25 

By Telegraph from Jefferson 24 To Presdt Davis 

Via Rapidan '25 
Have written you my views today and ordered Genl 
Smith to join me with all the troops available subject 
to Your approval.' 

23 Coll 92 [Endorsed] R. E. Lee. 

Aug 24, 1862. 
Genl R. E. Lee 
Jefferson, Va. 

No. 25. 

[Telegram] 

Rec'd at Richmond Aug 26, 1862. 
By Telegraph from Jefferson 25th 
Via Rapidan 26th 

To Presdt Jeff^ Davis 
I believe a portion of McClellans army has Joined 
Pope expedite the advance of our troops'* 
16 Coll 64 [Efidorsed] R. E. Lee. 

Reed Aug 26 
Jefferson, Va 
Augt 25, 1862 
Gen. R. E. Lee. 
In reference to McClellans army 

date of this letter (see McClellan's report, O. R., 11, i, 90). 
Smith was ordered to send forward his division the next day 
{ibid., 3, 680). 

'For Davis' answer, see 0. R., 12, 994; Aug. 25, 1862. 

'^ Davis hardly credited this report : he said that new troops 



Second Manasstis 53 

No. 26. 

Headqrs Dept. N. Va. 

26 August 1862. 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 
Prt'sidcnt C. S. A. 
Mr President 

I send you herewith a letter written by A. A. Tom- 
linson an officer of the Feileral Amiy, which was 
picked up on the road by which they had marched, 
& which contains some facts in relation to the battle 
near Cedar nin which may be interesting & which 
shew how they regarded the issue of that engagement.' 
I would suggest, that as the letter is of wholly a 
private character, that no publicity be given to the 
name of the writer, though the facts could be made 
known if you deem fit for its publication would in 
all probability injure him without materially bene- 
fitting us — 

I am ver\' respecty 
Your obt svt 

R. E. Lee 

Gonl. 

had been sent to Point Gamfort, but he ordered Hill and 
Lcc. The latter, it need scarcely be 
: in his information: Pope, as has been 

pointed out, had been heavily reinforced from McClcllan. 

' T ■ !nd. The battle of Cedar Run 

or C' _:it Aug. 9, 1862, when Winder's 

and Hill's divisions under Jackson, supported by Field's and 
~ ' * ■ <xl an attack by Banks' corps and 

' - "h a loss of alxjut 2,4(K) men, Tom- 

linson had probably expressed the amazement of the Federals 



54 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 27. 

[Telegram] 

Rec'd at Richmond Aug 28 
By Telegraph from 2| miles of Salem 27 
Via Rapidan 28th 
To Presdt Davis 
The advance under Genl Jackson last night broke 
up the Orange and Alexandria R.R.at Bristoe Station 
capturing three (3) trains of Cars and prisoner's 
This was Genl Trimbles Brigade captured Manassas 
taking Eight Guns provisions and prisoner's 

Parts of Hookers and Sickles Brigades have joined 
Pope at Warrenton from Alexandria. 

Other troops from Acquia I particularly require 
Hampton's Cavalry expedite the reinforcements 
ordered.^ 



RE Lee 
General 



63/252 
[Eitdorsed] 
Genl R. E. Lee 

Near Salem. 



at this unexpected blow and had described movements in a 
manner prohibited by the army regulations. It was typical 
of Lee that he had time to think, during this busy week, of 
the possible hardship to the Federal officer the pubHcation of 
this letter might work. The writer of the letter forwarded by- 
General Lee may have been Abia A. Tomlinson, later Colonel of 
the 5th W. Va. infantry, Hayes' brigade, Scammon's division. 
' This dispatch spoken of as "not found" in 0. R., 12, 3, 
946; for Davis' answer, Aug. 28, 1862, see ibid., 946. This 
action was the first step in the Second Manassas campaign, for 
which see Dispatch 29 and notes thereto. 



Second Manassas 55 

No. 28. 
[Telegram] 

Reed at Richmond Aug at 9 o'clock. 
By Telegraph from Mead Quarters 
Manassas Junction 
9 o'clock P.M. 29 

Via Rapidan 30 

To Presdt Davis 

So far this Army has steadily advanced and repulsed 
the frequent attacks of the enemy. The line of the 
Rappahannock and Warrenton has been relieved. 
Many prisoners arc captures! and I regret quantities 
of stores to be destroycxl for want of transportation.' 
Anderson not yet up and I hear nothing of those 
behind. We have Ewell, Trimble and Taliaferro 
wounded. The latter slightly, the others not 
mortal.' 

R. E. Lee 
67 Coll 268 
J4 

' J.ickson's first attack, it must l>c rcmcml>cre<l, wa5 made 
^*ithout support and in circumstances wluch made it impos- 
sible for him to remove any of the stores the Federals had 
accumulated. Bitter were the complaints of the soldiers at 
having to pivc to the flames so much that was valuable, both 
to wear and to eat. 

* The three ofTicers named were Richard S. Ewell, later 
corps commander in Loc's army until incapacitated in the 
early summer of 1864, I. R. Trimble, who was lat - ' -.-d, 
and W. B. Taliaferro, a Virginian who was j-;. aly 

transferred to South Carolina. 



56 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 29. 

Headqrs. Sept: N°. Va. 

Near Groveton Va. 
30 August 1862 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
President C. S. A. 
Mr President 

My dispatches will have informed you of the 
march of this portion of the army. Its progress has 
been necessarily slow, having a large and superior 
force on its flank; narrow & rough roads to travel, 
and the difficulties of obtaining forage & provisions 
to contend with. It has so far advanced in safety 
and has succeeded in deceiving the enemy as to its 
object. The movement has, as far as I am able to 
judge, drawn the enemy from the Rappahannock 
frontier and caused him to concentrate his troops 
between Manassas & Centreville — My desire has 
been to avoid a general engagement, being the weaker 
force, & by manoeuvring to relieve the portion of 
the country referred to' — I think if not overpowered 

' The significance of General Lee's movements and the 
wisdom of the plan of campaign he here explains are apparent. 
Jackson's advance to Cedar Mountain had been a military 
necessity for the protection of the Virginia Central railroad. 
It was also made in the hope that the Confederates might 
meet Pope's advance in detail as it moved from its base to 
Culpeper. Various delays had, however, brought these 
plans to naught and, after the battle of Cedar Mountain, had 
placed practically the whole of Pope's army in front of Jack- 
son. The latter hoped that the Federals would attack, for 
his position was very strong, but he could not tempt his 
opponent to take the offensive. Accordingly, on Aug. 12, 



Second Manassas 57 

we shall be able to relieve other portions of the coun- 
try, as it seems to be the purpose of the enemy to 

Jackson deciilcil to withdraw toward Gordonsvillc in the hoi>e 
that Pope would follow. In such an event Jackson Ixilicvcd 
he would have time to fortify himself and could strike Pope 
at a distance from his base. Pope seemed inclined to pursue 
and would probably have done so, with results that can only 
be surmised, had not Halleck put his veto on the plan. As 
it was, Pope rcmaine<l Ix'hind the Rapidan and waited for the 
cominjj of McClcUan's army. When Lee was advised, on 
Aug. 16, that McClellan had withdrawn from the James, he 
saw the immediate necessity of striking Pojx^'s line — stretch- 
ing from Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan to Roliertson's River 
— before the seasoned troops from the James could unite with 
Pojx;. Lee planned to take tlie offensive at once, to cross the 
Rapidan, turn Po{x*'s flank and cut off his retreat. Delays in 
the advance of the Confederate cavalry and the capture of an 
important message prevented such action. But Po{xi became 
alarmed, evacuated his jwsition, crossed the Rappahannixrk 
and took up his line on the north side, where he was prac- 
tically safe from an attack and could wait in safety for the 
arrival of all of McClcUan's army. Lee was equal to the emer- 
gency and determined to hazard the issue on a single lx)ld 
throw. He detached Jackson and Stuart with 24.000 men 
on Aug. 25 and sent them around Pope's flank to Manassas 
Junction. With the rest of the army. Lee determined to hold 
the Rappahannock in case Poyx; should advance. A more 
daring plan was hjirdly conceivable: Jackson had to march 
fifty miles through a rough country while Lee, with less than 
half his army, had to face possible destruction. If the march 
was prompt and the blow on Pope's flank and rear was deci- 
sive, Jackson might so alarm Pope and so threaten his commu- 
nications as to aimpel a general withdrawal. But if Jackson 
was delayed, if he failed or if Pope's reinforcements came up 
too quickly, the annihilation of the di\-ided Confederate 
forces was not improbable. Pope learned that Jackson was 
moN-ing but did not surmise his destination until the Con- 



58 Lee's Dispatches 

collect his strength here — This morning General 
Anderson's division arrived'' and Col Lee's reserve 
batteries.^ The partial contests in which both wings 

federate forces had passed Thoroughfare Gap and were within 
striking distance of Manassas. Before Hooker, who was sent 
to investigate, could locate the Confederates, Jackson de- 
stroyed the Federal stores at Manassas on Aug. 27. Pope 
immediately left his lines and turned to face Jackson, to whom, 
in the meantime, Lee was sending strong reinforcements under 
Longstreet. For the moment the campaign hinged on the 
rapidity with which the two lines could move by different 
routes to the same point. By the time Pope was ready to 
attack Jackson, he found the whole Confederate army in his 
front. The result of the engagements of Aug. 28-30 was a 
decided victory for the Confederates (Alexander, op. cit., 
chapter xi.; Longstreet, op. cit., chapters xiii. and xiv.; O. R., 
12,2; Lee's report, i6i(/., 551 ff.). The letter here printed, 
written apparently on the morning of the decisive day's 
fighting, discloses the interesting fact that Lee wished to avoid 
a general engagement and aimed primarily at relieving the 
pressure on the Rappahannock. This is contrary to the 
accepted view that Jackson's advance to Manassas was in- 
tended as a general turning movement. From his request 
for supplies, a little further down in this letter, Lee seemed 
to think that the engagements through which he was passing 
were but preliminary to a general offensive campaign. 

^ R. H. Anderson's division, Longstreet's corps, composed 
of Armistead's brigade (9th, 14th, 38th, 53rd and 57th Virginia 
regiments and the 5th Virginia battalion), Mahone's brigade 
(6th, I2th, i6th, 41st and 49th Virginia regiments) and 
Wright's brigade (3rd, 22nd, 44th and 48th Georgia regiments). 
These troops had been on the Richmond defences, had 
been moved to the next base at Gordonsville and were 
among the last to leave the old line when Lee moved to 
Manassas. 

3 Stephen D.Lee's battalion, composed of Eubank's, Grimes', 



Second Manassas 59 

of the army have been obliged to engage has reduced 
our ammunition, & the reinforcements seem to be 
advancing slowly — I have heard of none on the 
road except Gen' Ripley/ one mile south of Amiss- 
ville on yesterday evening — In order that we may 
obtain the advantages I hope for, we must be in larger 
force; and I hope ever}'" exertion will be made to create 
troops & to increase our strength & supplies — Beef, 
flour & forage may be obtained in the back country by 
proper exertions in the different departments; & it 
will Ix" far better for us to consume them than to leave 
them for the enemy — We have no time to lose & must 
make every exertion if we expect to reap advantage — 
I have the honor to be 

With high respect 

Your obt servant 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
No. 30. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Richmond Sept ist, 1862. 
By Telegraph from Hd Qrs Army X. Va. Groveton 
30th Aug. 10 o'clock P.M. 
Via Rapidan ist. 

To Presdt Dams 
This Army achieved today on the plains of Manassas 

Jordan's, " ' ' and Taylor's Vir^nnia and Rhctt's S<)uth 
Carolina . It is worthy of note that Colonel I>oc, 

advancing during the night of Aug. 29-30, found himself at 
d *' of the prc%*iou.s day's fight and dose to the 

C in then on picket duty. 

* R. S. Ripley of South Carolina who, it would appear, did 



6o Lee's Dispatches 

a signal victory over combined forces of Genls 
McClellan and Pope. On the 28th and 29th each 
wing under Genls Longstreet and Jackson repulsed 
with valour attacks made on them separately. We 
mourn the loss of our gallant dead in every conflict 
yet our gratitude to Almighty God for his mercies 
rises higher and higher each day, to Him and to 
the valour of our troops a nations gratitude is 
due.^ 

R. E. Lee 
82 Coll 328 

74 
[Endorsed] 

Aug 29 and 30, 1862 
Genl R. E. Lee 
Manassas. 

not arrive in time for the final engagements, as he is not 
mentioned in any of the reports. 

' With the correspondence of this date is filed in the De 
Renne papers a copy of Lee's dispatch to Pope, Aug. 31, 1862, 
declining a truce but consenting that ambulances be sent to 
remove the Federal wounded within their lines. The copy 
is marked "respectfully forwarded for the information of the 
War department, Sept. 3, 1862, R. H. Chilton, A. A. G." 
Among the dispatches of this period the originals of which 
are in the De Renne papers and copies of which are printed 
in the Records from the headquarters letterbook appears the 
dispatch of Lee to Davis, Chantilly, Sept. 3, 1862. In par- 
agraph 3, line 12 of the printed text (O. R., 12, 2, 559) the 
blanks should read "Jenkins." The blank in the next Hne 
should read "Means." 



Antictain Oi 

No. 31. 

[Telegram] 

Rccd at Richmond Sept 8, 1862 

By Telegraph from Montgomery Co., Md. 

To Presdt Davis 
13 miles from Frederick town Md. 6th.' 

Two divisions of the army have crossed the Poto- 
mac. I hope all will cross today navigation of the 
canal has been inlemiptetl and efforts will l)e made 
to break up the use of the Baltimore and Ohio rail- 
road. 

R. E. Lee. 
[Endorsed] 
Sept 6, 1862. 
Gcnl R. E. Lee 

near Frederick, Md. 

• On this date General Lcc i.ssued his proclamation to the 
people of Maryland inviting them to unite with the South and 
thus formally began the Antietam campaign, — the third and 
not the last that he was to wage within the seven months he 
,^. ..,.,, ...i,.f J the army during 1862. The De Renne corre- 
conLains the originals of practically every dispatch 
r ral Ix^ to the President during the entire 

I' w., . .»:npaign in Maryland. But as all of these 

I in the Official Records, they arc omitted here. In 
nuity of Ix?c's movements, a few 

. ...>;.,. ;..v ...Ivance into Mar>'land may not be 

out of place. The engagement of Aug. 30, the final day of 
Second M .lid not end until 9 p.m.. when the last of 

Pope's rov;L. . ......y was driven beyond Bull Run. Realizing 

now that what he had expecte<l to ho little more than a diver- 
non had become a notable victory, Lcc was naturally desirous 



62 Lee's Dispatches 

of pressing his advantage. But the Stone Bridge had been 
destroyed and the darkness of the night made the fords uncer- 
tain. The next morning the Federals were located at Centre- 
ville, in a strong position, from which position Lee prepared 
to drive them by a turning movement on their right flank, 
directed along the Little River Turnpike. Again on Septem- 
ber I , Pope paused on the heights of Germantown and struck 
at Lee's front and right flank in order to cover a general with- 
drawal, which he completed the same night. "The great 
advantage of the advance of the army," wrote Lee in summar- 
ising his movements, "is the withdrawal of the enemy from 
our territory and the hurling back upon their capital of their 
two great armies from the banks of the James and Rappahan- 
nock rivers" (Lee to Davis, Sept. 3, 1862). The moral 
effect of the successive defeats of McClellan and Pope was 
great: for the first time since the first advance of the Federals, 
Virginia was practically free of invaders and could breathe 
easily. Anxious to take advantage of this public confidence, 
Lee forthwith proposed an invasion of Maryland. It seems 
perfectly plain from his first dispatch suggesting this advance 
that he did not anticipate a great victory. He merely be- 
lieved that if he were to take his army into Maryland, it would 
have a salutary effect upon that State, would hearten Con- 
federate sympathisers there and might influence the European 
governments which seemed at the time not unfavorably dis- 
posed to a recognition of the independence of the Confederacy. 
Mr. Davis readily approved the plan. It was announced to 
the troops. Preparations for the advance were speedily 
completed and on September 4-7, the first columns, as stated 
in this dispatch, crossed the Potomac. Lee did not hesitate, 
in carrying out the plan of an advance, to divide his forces. 
Jackson was ordered to move on Harper's Ferry where some 
12,000 men, from sheer foolhardiness, had been left by the 
Federals. He was to capture the town and was then to move 
into Maryland where the rest of the army was expected to be 
by that time. Unfortunately for Lee, a copy of his plan, 
addressed to D. H. Hill, fell into Federal hands and was 



Antictain 63 

carried to McClcllan, restorc<l l>y this time to command of 
tlic army. The Fctlcral commandiT at once realized that by 
crossing South Mountain and moving quickly he mi^ht Iks 
able to divide the two Confederate armies and destroy them. 
He had merely to cross the mountains Ijcforc Jackson could 
come from Harper's Perry and he would be between Lee's 
advance and his base of supplies. Ere Jackson could reach 
Leo. the latter's army might be crumpleil up. Or, if this 
failed, McClellan would still have the advantage of a strong, 
unilotl army facing two weak annies. Lee did not 

know that McClcllan had capi.:;. letter to Hill, but when 

he learned on Sept. 13 that Harper's Ferry had not fallen, he 
saw at once that he must either wiilulraw to the Potoniac or 
so strengthen the forces holding the gaps in the mountains as 
to prevent the Fe<lerals from crossing. He at once dispatched 
I. 'to reinforce Hill at Turner's Gap. After a sharp 

e:.-, -^ ;.- at on Sept. 14, the Federals forced their way over the 
mountains and advanced to cut off Lee. But the latter, 
fi: r, lost no time in falling back to 

Si.--:, -:., -V-- --; -jforc the Federals could cut him 

off. Fortunately for the Confederates, Harper's Ferry sur- 
rcndere<l on t' )f Scpteml>cr 15. with i2,o<x) pris- 
oners, ihousaii : rms, 73 pieces of artillery and many 

stores. Leaving only the necessary guard at Harper's Ferry, 
Jackson a- 1 to j<»in Loc. The latter was 

now in a „ . i the \*illage of Sharpsburg and 

was at least safe from immediate destruction. By the time 
h'. ' -n on the momir - 

t' , 50,000 men,— - ... ;.t 

to hold off the 75.000 whom McClellan had available on the 

field. TIt ' " • the 

heaN-iest I . r> . -. ^ --;-^ _ war, 

but its dose left Lcc in his original position, thanks to the 
arrival of .\. P. Hill at a • " ~ ■. ^^.^^ 

hottest. At a council of V. ^ . I^x^'s 

lieutenants were for a retreat across the Potomac, but they 
could not prevail upon the commander-in-chief, who was con- 



64 Lee's Dispatches 

fident that McClellan would not renew the attack the next 
day. He seems even to have contemplated a movement 
beyond the Federals' right in an effort to double them up but, 
Longstreet alleges, was dissuaded by him. Lee waited a full 
day for a renewal of the attack and then withdrew across the 
Potomac without difficulty. He had suffered heavily and 
some of his best regiments had been practically destroyed, 
but he was still intent on taking the offensive. On Sept. 21, 
he wrote Davis: " ... it is still my desire to threaten a 
passage into Maryland, to occupy the enemy on this frontier, 
and if my purpose cannot be accomplished, to draw them into 
the Valley where I can attack them to advantage." Few 
campaigns of General Lee have been more minutely discussed 
than this, and few of his dispositions have been more severely 
criticised than those by which he hazarded the existence of 
his army by dividing it. General Longstreet, who was never 
lacking in ability to view an event in retrospect, states that 
he opposed the plan and expected disaster from it. On the 
other hand, it must be remembered that the acute danger to 
which Lee's army was subjected on September 14 and 15 was 
due not so much to the daring of his plan as to its accidental 
detection by McClellan. There is little reason to believe that 
McClellan would have moved against the passes in South 
Mountain with even the tardiness he displayed, had he not 
had General Lee's own statement as to the position of his 
forces. But for this accident, it is not improbable that Jack- 
son would have joined Lee after the capture of Harper's Ferry 
and would have united with him in an offensive movement 
the results of which might have been highly advantageous. 
It is true that Lee took chances. But it is also true that he 
won the first advantage in the Seven Days' Fight, the decisive 
victory at Second Manassas and the no less decisive triumph 
at Chancellorsville by taking at least equal chances. Lee's 
congratulatory order to the army, at the end of the campaign, 
is not a boastful summary of its achievements: "Since your 
great victories around Richmond, you have defeated the enemy 
at Cedar Mountain, expelled him from the Rappahannock, 



Fredericksburg 65 

No. 32. 

[Telegrattt] 

Reed at Richmond, Oct. 28, 1862. 

By Telegraph from Hd Qrs A. N. W. 28 

Tu His Excellency The Presdt Jeff Davis. 
Your dispatch of 25th' rec'd will make the arrange- 
ment you desire as soon as practicable. 

R. E. Lee. 
15/160 Cull free from S. 

[Endorsed] 
Oct. 28, 1862 
Genl R. E. Lee. 

and, after a conflict of three days, utterly repulsed him on the 
plains of M ind forced him to take shelter within the 

fortificatior. i his capital. Without halting for repose, 

you crossed the Potomac, stormed the heights of Harper's 
Ferry, made prisoners of more than 11,000 men and cap- 
tured upwards of 75 pieces of artillery, all their small 
arms and other munitions of war. While one corps of the 
army w ' ' Mrc<l its success by arrest- 

ing at <1 armies of the enemy, 

advancing under their favorite general to the relief of their 
belcagt- ■ field of ■ ■ ■ ^ 

than <' , you n 

until dark the whole army of the enemy and repulsed every 
at' ■ ■ t of more than 4 miles in extrr- . 

Ti . lay you stfxxl prepared to re^^rr.c 

the conflict on the same ground and retired the next morning 
wi" ' ■ " lac. ... Hi 

fcv . ind cndura: 

army has exhibited. . ." (G. O. 116, .\. X. Va., Oct. 2, 
1S62.O. R., 19. 2, 644). 

• In his dispatch of Oct. 25. General Ix^ warned the govern- 
ment against attacks on the Petersburg and Wcldon Railroad 
s 



66 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 33. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Riehmond Nov. 20, 1862. 

By Telegraph from Fredericksburg 20 To His 
Excellency Jeff Davis 

I think Burnside is concentrating his whole army 
opposite Fredericksburg.* 

R. E. Lee. 
10/130 pd 

D Mc. 
[Endorsed] 
Nov. 20, 1862 
Genl R. E. Lee 
Fredericksburg 

(O. R., I, 19, 681). Davis' dispatch to Lee, which has not 
been located, may have related to the same subject. 

^ The De Renne correspondence contains nothing of im- 
portance on the brief but brilHant campaign that ended hos- 
tilities for the year in Virginia. McClellan seemed bewildered 
after the battle of Antietam by the " tremendous strength" of 
the Southern army and insisted that he could not advance 
without heavy reinforcements and supplies. Given these, 
he proposed a plan based upon the disposition of Lee's army 
after the return to Virginia. Probably in accordance with his 
announced purpose of drawing the enemy into the Valley — • 
a fact that seems to have been overlooked by most critics of 
the campaign — Lee divided his forces. Jackson he sent into 
the Valley, between Winchester and Strasburg; Longstreet 
he placed at Culpeper. McClellan learned of this and sug- 
gested that he make an effort to attack Lee in detail, using 
against the Southern commander the tactics so disastrously 
employed by Lee at Second Manassas. It seems probable, 
Longstreet to the contrary nowithstanding, that Lee would 
have liked nothing better than that McClellan advance into 



lT(<lLricksburg 67 

No. 34. 
[Telegram] 
Fredericksburg (, Nov.) 25 [. 1862] 

To Col. [JOSIAI!] GoRtiAS 

WTiat long Tan\:,c guns on siege carriages can \ou 
send me from Richmond?' 

R. E. Lee 

the valley after Jackson. He certainly was nut as much 
concerned at the Federal plan as Lonjjstreet would indicate. 

In : nit, he was savetl such a c ' n by the removal 

of ' ,n from llie supreme com: 1 the elevation of 

Ambrose E. Burnsiile, one of the most gallant but clearly 
the most incapal)le of all the captains who opix)sed Lcc. The 
lines hatl ^jrailually l)ecn withdrawn as the fall went by and 
the Federals were a^'ain on Virginia soil. Burnside promptly 
rejcctctl McClellan's plan, wasted his cavalry in futile diver- 
sions and moved on Fre<lericksburK as his prospective base 
for a new march on Richmond. He preflicte<l that he would 
cat his Christmas dinner in Richmond, but his hi^h hopes only 
aroused ridicule in the enthusiastic Confederate ranks. The 
campaign that followed was short and disastrous. Burnside's 

m' ' • •" ■', as indicate<l by the dispatch here printed, were 

at ! by Lcc, who moved his army gradually along the 

R and took up a position on the hills just south 

of . .. ..< ..wv l.urg. With amazing recklessness, Burnside 
threw his army across the river and without any coherent 
plan assaultc*! Leo's fortified position on December 13, 1S62. 

The Federals show ' ^ ' '•• dash and courage but t! -;♦ 

mowed down by After a single day's 

Burnside abandonetl the effort and gave Lcc little trouble 
during the rest of the ^*nnler. The Federals admit*' ' -^ 
of i,2R4 killcil, 9,600 wounded and 1,769 missing: tl.. 
crate loss was but little more than one-third as heavy. 

' Gorgas, chief of ordnance and one of the most valued of 
the Confederate officers replied as follows: "We have two 



68 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsement of Dispatch No. 34] 

Nov. 25/62 
Telegrams 
Genl Lee to Col Gorgas 
Col Gorgas to Genl Lee 

President's despatch letter book Page 222 

No. 35. 

Camp Fred^ 6 Jany 63. 
M''. President 

Allow me to congratulate you & the country upon 
your safe return to Richmond.^ I trust your health 
has been invigorated," & that you have enjoyed great 
satisfaction as well as comfort from the condition of 
affairs in the great west. I know that your visit has 
inspired the people with confidence, & encouraged 
them to renewed exertions & greater sacrifices in the 
defense of the Country, & I attribute mainly the 
great victory of Genl Bragg to the courage diffused 

thirty pounder Parrott guns on the lines. No others dispos- 
able." The reply is on the same sheet with the telegram from 
Lee. 

^ Just before the battle of Fredericksburg, Mr. Davis began 
a somewhat extended tour of Tennessee and Alabama. He 
returned to Richmond early in January. Lee's correspond- 
ence with him during this time was carried on through the 
Secretary of War (See O. R., i, 21, 1062 ff.)- Mr. Davis 
resumed direct correspondence with General Lee on January 
12, 1863 (ibid., 1088). 

^ Mr. Davis had suffered severely during the autumn of 1862, 
particularly with his eyes. His general physical condition 
was poor. 



The Winter of 1862-63 ^ 

by your cheering words & presence.* I hope it will 
result in driving the enemy beyond the Ohio. \Vc 
have also much to do in the East. My letters to the 
Dept. will inform you of the condition of affairs here. 
I am more uneasy at the state of affairs in North 
Carolina. Wilmington which I think is the real point 
of attack ought to be defended to the last extremity.* 
It can be reinforced by Beauregard, & North Carolina 
ought to turn out every man in the State for its 
defence & the pn^ttx^tion of its Eastern frontier.' 
Genl D. H. Hill is sulTering greatly in health, & seems 
depressed in spirits.* Do you think he could \>v of 
ser\'ice in arousing his people & in calming conflicting 
political views, which the Sec'' of War & Genl 0. W. 

* The reference is doubtless to the battle of Murfrecslx)n), 
fought Dec. 31, 1862, though this could hardly be viewed as a 
"great victory." 

* This jx>licy. it will be recalled, was adopted and the defence 
of Wilmington was one of the most vital features of the Con- 
federate military programme. 

» \ax had been relying uixin the help to be given by North 
Carolina for several weeks. Cf. his letter to G. W. Smith, 
ibid., 1060. Dec. 12, i86j: "... As regards Wil- 
troops from South Carolina cf>uld be thrown there 
emergency, and recalled to their position when no longer re- 
quired. But I have l>ccn in ho|x*s that North Carolina would 
turn out all the tnx^iKi within her Iwrders at this time, and 
which could ojKTate to such advantage on her eastern fron- 
tier. I think that if you will write to General Martin, he \^-ill 
make an eflort to have this done. . . ." 

•General Hill had three h«)rs<*s killed under him at Sharps- 
burg and had l>een at FretKricksbur;- " -vas sent to N'-rth 
Carolina in accordance with the n in this kiur 

(ace O. R.. /or. cil.. 1093: S. O., 1863. No. 14, Ji). 



70 Lee's Dispatches 

Smith seems to think threaten disastrous conse- 
quences? If so I will detach him from this army. I 
know you will have much to occupy your attention. 
I will not trespass farther on your time, but wishing 
you all happiness & prosperity, & many returns of the 
New Year, remain with great esteem, your obt. servt 

R. E. Lee 

His Exc^ Jeff^ Davis 

Pres: of the Confed. States. 

No. 36. 

Headquarters AN Va. 
Jan nth 1863. 
His Excellency 

President Jefferson Davis » 

M? President 

I have the honour to have received your letter of 
7*^ inst, with the two inclosures from Col. Imboden. 
In accordance with your instructions I have addressed 
a communication to Gen. Halleck upon the subject, a 
copy of which I enclose herewith. I have taken the 
liberty of extending the time for his response to ten 
days, as I ascertain that five days would be too short 
a period for the investigation to be made, and the 
reply to reach this point. ^ 

I have the honour to be 
Very respectfully 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



^ This correspondence related to General Milroy's so-called 
assessment orders, references to which are given in a note in 



The Winter of 1862-63 71 

No. 37. 

H^-QRs: Fred° 24 Feb'' '63 
His Excy Jeff" Davis 

Pros: C. S. Richmond Va: 
M' President 

Before selecting a camp of refreshment for Gcnl 
Hamptons brigade,' Genl Stuart was directed to 
cause an examination to be made to ascertain where 
forage could l)e procured.' The object was to place 

O. R.. I, 21, 1054. On Jany. 10, 1863, General Lee wrote 
Imlxxlcn: "Wilh rcjjard to the orders of Milroy, you must 
endeavor to reprtss his cruellies as much as [X)ssihlc. I will 
recommend to the Secretary of War that prisoners taken from 
his command be not exchanj^unl, but held as hostages for the 
protection of our citizens (O. R., loc. cil., 1086). Again 
on Jany. 20, 1863 {ibid., 1102), Lcc wrote Imbodcn: "By the 
direction of the President, I have written to General H " ': 
on the subject of Milroy *s orders. He replies that 
orders are unauthorized, and if on investigation he finds thcra 
authentic, he will order Milroy to change his course. I do 
not think retaliation uiK>n the Union people of the northwest 
would help our cause in that region." A copy of Lcc's letter 
to Halleck. Jany. 10, 1863, is in this collection, certified by 
W. H. Taylor. A. A. G. 

• Hampton's brigade, as reported in the organization of the 
Fre<iericksburK campaign, was composed of the following 
regiments: 1st N. C, Col. L. S. Baker; 1st S. C, Col. J. L. 
Black; 2nd S. C. Col. M. C. Butler; Cobbs's (Georgia) Legion, 
Lieut. -Col. P. Nf. B. Young; Phillips' (Georgia) Legion, Lieut.- 
Col. W. W. Rich (O. R., 21,544). 

• Corrcsjwndcnce with J. E. B. Stuart not found. Genl. 
Sf '• ' •• orders of Feb. 13, 1863, had l>ccn directed to begin 
in t cavalry movements in the Valley against Genl. 
Milroy ^U. R., 25, 2, 621). 



']2 Lee's Dispatches 

it in a region containing forage, the consiimption of 
which would not interfere with the suppHes for the 
rest of the army. The Staff officer sent to Page Co. 
reports favourable. It is contiguous to Culpeper, 
but one County intervening,^ has not been occupied 
by troops & the consumption of the forage there does 
not affect the supply for the main army. The brigade 
is relieved from duty at present. I should think the 
horses would recuperate sooner than if sent at this 
time to N. C. Corn can be procured in Eastern N. C. 
but the chief Q'M' of the Army informs me long 
forage is scarce. Genl Hampton's brigade was origi- 
nally assigned to duty in Culpeper because it was the 
most important line — It was the largest brigade & 
he was the Senior Brig''* — There has been great 
scarcity of forage in the whole army, & it requires the 
greatest care of officers & men to keep the horses in 
condition. The horses in best condition in the Army 
are those of Genl W E Jones^ in the Shenandoah 
Valley — It is my great desire to recuperate the Cav^ 
& if I know where in Eastern N. C. Hamptons 
brigade could be better provided, would gladly send it 

^ Rappahannock, with easy passes through the Blue Ridge. 

''The four brigades of Maj.-Gen. Stuart's cavalry divi- 
sion at this time were those of Wade Hampton (organiza- 
tion as above); of Brig. -Gen. Fitzhugh Lee (ist, 2nd, 3rd, 
4th Virginia, and 5th Virginia during part of the autumn) ; of 
Brig.-Gen. W. H. F. Lee (2nd N. C. and 9th, loth, 13th and 
15th Va.) and of Brig.-Gen. W. E. Jones (6th, 7th, 12th Va. 
regiments and 17th Va. Battalion, Lieut. -Col. Funston, and 
Maj. E. V. White's battalion of Virginia cavalry). 

5 William E. Jones was a native of Washington County, 
Virginia, and was born in May, 1824. Educated at Emory 



The Winter of 1862 63 73 

there. It will not be more than a month before it 

will l)e aj,'ain wantcxl. Fitz Lx>c*s hriKade is on the 

iipixT Rapp^ &• \V"'. F. Lees on the lower* 

I am with j^eat respect 

Your obt ser\'t 

R. E. Lee 
Gen! 

No. 38. 

H^-gRs: Fred^ 7 March '63 
M' President 

I have conversed with Col Lee in reference to the 

and Henry College, he graduated at West Point in 1 845, scn'cd 
in the cxlnnu- wi-si during ' the war, hut 

retired from the army ere 1. Me raised a 

company of cavalry before the ordinance of secession was 
passed at ' ' First y His <• ' ry 

record w.t nt and i cs at H: ,:.d 

during the Pennsylvania cami)aign were particularly notable. 
He w.xs killr.l in h.itfl.-. Jun<- 5. in''>4. T* ' ' which 

reference ii hvw in.nlr wa > ilic Kin;<>u; I, ',-, for- 

merly commanded by Robertson and composed largely of 
men who had Ixren with Turner Ashby in his memorable early 
campaign (sec C. M. H., 3, 616 ff.). 

• Hampton's brigade richly descn'cd the rest General Lee 
plant ' ' ■ .. In a'' ' i- 

paigi. r, these : <t 

of small engagements and skirmishes, including those at Dum- 
f- " " ' " ' ' ,!i, Dec. 2j-2<), 

^' iuan, Dec. 19, 

I86i (icc Hampton's reports, O. R., 15, 690, 695, 735). 

1 ■ re 

« rn 

Virginia. Feb. 28. 1863 (O. R., Ivc. cit., 1 1 14). "These 



74 Lee's Dispatches 

proposed organization of the Art^ for this Army.* 
I have considered the subject well & it is the best plan 
I can submit. I had hoped to have gotten your views 
on the subject, but finding I could not leave my post, 

deeds," announced Lee, "give assurance of vigilance, activity, 
and fortitude and of the performance of still more brilliant 
actions in the coming campaign." 

* Probably G. W. C. Lee, General Lee's eldest son, for some 
time aide to President Davis. Colonel Stephen D. Lee, 
later lieutenant-general, the only other officer to whom General 
Lee might have reference, had left the Army of Northern 
Virginia in the fall to go to Vicksburg. From this letter it 
would appear that President Davis had sent Colonel G. W. C. 
Lee to General Lee's headquarters to discuss the proposed 
organization of the artillery. The subject was one which 
had been carefully considered and matured with no little 
difficulty. On Feb. ii, after conference with Cols. S. 
Crutchfield and E. P. Alexander, Brig.-Gen. W. N. Pen- 
dleton forwarded to General Lee an elaborate plan for the 
"better organization of our artillery" (0. R., 25, 2, 614 ff.)- 
In this plan. General Pendleton explained the respects in which 
a battalion organization of the artillery was preferable to the 
regimental system, though his arguments are not the same 
as those advanced in this letter. With his plan. General 
Pendleton submitted a list of artillery officers for whom promo- 
tion, transfer, etc., was proposed, which list is extremely inter- 
esting in the estimate it places on the different officers. Four 
days later (Feb. 15, 1863) in G. 0. No. 20, General Lee pro- 
mulgated the substance of this plan to the army, though he 
did not name the company officers or announce the promo- 
tions. The next day (O. R., loc. cit., 628) General Pendleton 
proposed some minor changes and asked General Lee's con- 
struction of the law governing the number of officers he might 
have (see note 3 below) . On the 19th (ibid., 633), General 
Lee wrote Jackson and probably Longstreet asking their 
opinion and comment on the changes. In his reply, General 



The Winter of 1862 63 75 

& wishing to get the Art' in the most efficient con- 
dition before the opening of the campaign thought it 
Ix'st not to (K'lay. Any improvement you may 
suggest, I shall be thankful for. I think the batt" 
organization for Art' better than the regimental. 

Jackson forwarded the statement of his chief of artillery, 
Col. S. Crutchfield, and made objection to some features 
of Pendleton's plan on the ground that he ^sished to remain 
with him and to have promoted those artillery officers who 
had seen sers'ice in his corps. In particular, he obji-cled to 
the promotion of Maj. H. P. Jones and Capt. J. G. Barn- 
well. General LonRstreet. in a letter of Feb. 24, 1863 {loc. 
^1/., 64 1 ), approved the recommendations of General Pendleton, 
thought it best that the senior cai)tain of the Wasliin^'lon 
artillery should be promoted and a^sked General Lcc to wait 
until the opinion of Colonel Walton could be piven. On 
Feb. 27, 1863, General Lee replied to General Jackson that 
he did "not concur altogether wth the principle there laid 
down [in Jackson's lotterl rej^ilalinj,' claims to promotion. 
I think the interest of the ser\'ice, as well as justice to indi- 
viduals, requires the selection of the best men to fill vacant 
." JackM)n*s reply was rather crisp {ibid., he. cii., 
' ^, ^ He apparently withtlrew his objection to Major 

Jones and hoped that "Captain Barnwell will not be promoted 
i .1 know nothing of his quali- 

intly: " I have had much trouble 
resulting from incompetent officers haWng been assigned to 
duty with it ;, Those who assigned 

them have • , ibility of incurring the 

odium which results from such incompetency." To this 
'" ' ' ' ■ ■ \-, but from corresjx)nd- 

• m it appears that the 
promotion of Major Jones was acquiesced in by Crutchfield 

'^oh 2, GeniTal Ixv c^m- 

lo President Davis and 

raised the question as to the number of officers to be comoiis- 



76 Lee's Dispatches 

Two field officers to a batt° in my opinion are neces- 
sary. Any one of the proposed batt"^ in time of 
action, occupy a greater space, require more care & 
attention, & are more difficult to command in time of 
battle, than a regt: of Inf^, which experience shows 
require three field officers. The two batteries have 
frequently to be detached — If you have not an officer 
of judgment & experience to send forward select the 
position, prepare the way &c., the captains have to 
leave their batteries or lead them blindly forward. 
This results in exposure or delay. A Captain should 
always be with his battery. The six Comp^ batt°^ 
would be better with three field officers. I did not 
wish to fill every post, but to leave opening for promo- 
tion. The Art'' officers deserve great credit for their 
Conduct & advancement in their profession. They 
have rec'^ but little promotion in comparison with 
other arms — Young Inf^ and Cav^. officers have 
sprung into Brigadier & Major Gen^'^ — But if the 
law does not allow the officers as proposed, that puts 

sioned for these commands (O. R., loc. cit., 651), It was 
probably in response to this letter that Colonel Lee was sent 
to discuss the matter with him, after which conference this 
letter was written. 

^ This was notably true. Promotions in the artillery 
service were so slow that colonels in this army were frequently 
outranked by men who had been captains at the time the 
artillery officers received their three stars. It is worthy of 
comment, however, that in the Army of Northern 
Virginia, artillery officers, regardless of rank were highly 
esteemed and had splendid opportunities for detached 
service. Incidentally, the standard of efficiency was very 
great. 



1 he W iiUtr of 1862 63 77 

an end to the subject. •• I thought I had kept below 
the limit of the law. According to my acceptation 
of its provisions, the 264 gims would authorize 1 1 Lt 
Cols: In the proposed organization only 7 were pro- 
vided for. I was undetermined as to which of the 
majors was most entitled to promotion at the date 
of my former letter. Since then, upon the recom- 
mendations of Col CnitchficKl, Cenl Pendleton & 
Genl Jackson, I have concluded that Major H. P. 
Jones shoidd be.^ I therefore request if it can be 
done, that he be promoted to Lt. Col; This will 
give 8 Lt Cols; & leave 16 majors — The latter is the 
exact numlx?r authorized for 264 guns. The captain 
of the Washington Art^ proposed to be promoted was 
not named in my former letter — Genl Longstreet 
desired Major Walton' to select him, & he is still 

* General Lee refers to this law in his letter of March 2 
(lo€. cit.) as "act Xo. 39. approvcxl January 22, 1862." The 
position he takes in his construction of this act is that of Pend- 
leton in his letter of Feb. 16. 1863. Pendleton said: "The 
law authorizes field officers in the proportion of a major for 
every sixteen guns, a lieutenant-colonel for every twenty- 
four, a colonel for ever>* forty and a brijjadier for even,- eighty. 
Docs not this permit us to have 6 colonels, 1 1 licutenant- 
colonds and 16 majors? The 6 colonels we have; of lieu- 
irnant-colonels wc have only 8. ... Of majors we should 
have just 16." 

* Hilary P. Jones appears as lieu tenant -colonel of Jones* 
battalion, artillen'. secf)nd corps, in Special Orders 106, 
par. 14; April 16. 1863. His batteries were Carrington's, 
Garbcr's. Latimer's (Tanner's) and Thompson's. He was 
attached to Ew. ' h. 

* General Lee ^ here, though he 

states it correctly later in the dispatch. J. B. Walton was 



78 Lee's Dispatches 

absent. I fear by this means the Louis* captain 
will lose rank. They are all good officers — Gen. 
Longstreet thinks the Senior, which is Capt Eshel- 
man,^ should be promoted. From all that I have 
heard my own impression is that Capt W. C. Squires 
is the better officer.' I wish Col: Walton was here 
to decide the matter. 

You are aware that the present law authorizes you 
to appoint a Brig' Genl for every 80 guns. That 
would give three for this army. I named no one for 
the positions, for I wished to consult you first on the 
subject. I prestmie from what I have heard that 
applications will be made to you, & to prevent annoy- 
ance it may be better to consider the matter. Genl 
Elzy if his health & habits do not interfere would 
make a good chief of Art^ — He has always been in 
that service — Is brave & attentive & ought to be well 
informed. My opinion is based upon my acquaintance 
with him in his early service. Since the Mexican 

Colonel, commanding the Washington artillery, the reserve of 
Longstreet's corps. It was to him that Longstreet wrote the 
famous "Let the batteries open" order of July 3, 1863 (From 
Manassas, etc., 390). 

^ The name is usually spelled Eshleman, the officer being 
B. F. Eshleman, senior captain, ist company, Washington 
Artillery. 

7 The initials are " W. C." in the Official Records. Of him, 
in his letter of Feb. 11, Pendleton wrote "Captain Squires is 
understood to have been especially recommended for promo- 
tion by Colonel Walton. He would, no doubt, make a good 
field officer for this battalion." Neither Eshleman nor 
Squires was immediately promoted, though Eshleman later 
became major. 



Tlic Winter of 1862 63 79 

War I have seen little of him. If the law allows, 
he might be assigned with his present rank, (jen'l 
Pendleton could be assigned to Jackson's corps — • 
Genl Longstreet would recommend Col: Walton for 
his corps. Col : Walton is a brave steady & good 
officer in battle & maintains good discipline in his 
batt". I could not say from my own knowledge that 
he is the best selection for the place. His knowledge 
of Arf especially its science, must be limited, & I 
think his knowledge of ground defective, & his selec- 
tion of positions not good.' I have had during the 
past campaign, before & in battle to employ Col 
Long in selecting positions for Arf" examining fields 
&c &c. I consider him better qualified for those 

'This is Amok! Elzey, later major-general, a native of 
Maryland (b. 1816) and a West Point graduate of the class 
of 1837. He had been an artillerj' officer during the Seminole 
and Mexican wars and had bei'n promoted brigadier-general on 
the field of First Manassas for gallantr>' in action. He had been 
v.. .'.indi'l (!nring the Valley campaign, while he was serving 
w /.I J.ick>'>n. and had been sent to command the Richmond 
defences. General Lee doubtless remembered Elzey 's former 
< " >n with Jackson's command in recommending him 

! ^e with that olTiccr. A little later (May 4, 1863) 

General Lee recommended Elzey to take command of Trimble's 
'• • ion. General Elzey was not sent for%vard to General 
i on either request, but served continually around Rich- 
mond until practically incapacitated by a serious face wound 
at the battle of Cold Harl>or. He recovered and commanded 
the artillery of HikhI's army during the Tennessee campaign 
(sec C. M. H.. 2. 157 fT.). Elzey die<l in Baltimore in 1870. 

•'^ ' ' T. B. Walton, iv '' ' ' ,vc. cor ' of 

the V on artillcn,'. Co' i was no ed, 

though he served gallantly. 



8o Lee's Dispatches 

duties than any officer with me, & would make a 
better Genl of Art^ — I know the difficulty of ap- 
pointing him, & the objection to taking any one in his 
position & promoting them over men serving in the 
field. Yet he is the best man I can name — '° I have 
written down hastily the above remarks for your 
consideration. I regret I have not time to condense 
them — 

I remain most resp^ your 
Exc^ obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 



Genl. 



His Exc^ Jeff'' Davis 
Pres: C. States. 



No. 39. 

H°-Q''": II March '63. 
M"" President 

I have rec*^ your despatch of yesterday & will 
comply with your instructions as soon as possible.' 
The Storm of yesterday which is still raging, will so 
much augment the difficulties of transportation, that 

^^ This was Colonel A. L. Long, later chief of artillery, 
second corps; at this time General Lee's mihtary secretary. 
To him the country owes the Memoirs of General Lee, a well- 
known biography, written when General Long was blind. 

^ Not found. The Official Records contain no correspond- 
ence for these days other than order for an independent move- 
ment by General John D. Imboden, which was postponed until 
April 20. No action of importance occurred during March 
except the engagement at Kelly's Ford on the 17th, for which 
see Stuart's report and enclosures, 0. R., 25, i, 58. 



Rc:uly for Chaiiccllors\ illc 8i 

I wish to see that the necessary provisions & forage 
can be supplied to the Army. It may require till the 
end of the week 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl 
His Exc'^ Jeff" Davis 
Pres: Conf. States. 

No. 40. 

Camp near Fred*"' 21 March '63 
M' President 

Upon an examination of the Senate bill presented 
by Genl Sparrow for the organization of the staff of 
the army, I think some changes might be made to 
advantage. • These will readily occur to you & I 
will therefore allude to them generally. I think it 
important & indeed necessar>' to simplify the mechan- 
ism of our army as much as possible, yet still to give 
it sufficient power to move & regulate the whole body. 
Our armies are necessarily ver>' large in comparison 
with those we have heretofore had to manage. Some 
of our divisions exceed the army Genl Scott entered 
the city of Mexico with, & our brigades are larger 
than his divisions. The greatest difficulty I find is in 
causing orrlers & req*" to be obeyed. This arises not 
frum a spirit of disobedience, but from ignorance. 

' Printed in O. R., scries 4. 2. 447. but entered here as il- 
lustrative of the problems of orKanization confronting General 
Lcc in the winter of 1862-63. 



82 Lee's Dispatches 

We therefore have need of a corps of officers to teach 
others their duty, see to the observances of orders, & 
to the regularity & precision of all movements. This 
is accomplished in the French Service by their staff 
corps, educated instructed & practised for the pur- 
pose. The same circimistances that produced that 
corps exists in our own army. Can you not shape & 
form the staff of our army to produce equally good 
results? Although the staff of the French army is 
larger than that proposed by Senate bill, I am in 
favour of keeping ours down, as it is so much easier 
to build up than to reduce, if experience renders it 
necessary. I would therefore assign one Genl Off' to 
a Genl Comm^ an army in the field, & give to his 
Inspr Genl, Q^ M' Genl, Comm^ Genl, Chief of 
Ordnance & Med''^^ Director provisional grade of 
Col: of Cav^ — I would reduce his aids & give to his 
chief of staff & Insp"" Genl assistants, or they will 
never be able to properly attend to their outdoor & 
indoor work, which from the condition of our army, 
as before stated is very heavy. I would apply the 
same principles to the division & brigade staff — 
placing their chiefs on an equal footing & giving each 
a complete organization in itself, so that it can ma- 
nuevre independently of the corps or division to which 
it is habitually attached, & be detached with prompt- 
ness & facility when required. Each therefore in 
addition to its Genl Staff should have a surgeon, Q"" 
M"" & Commd'^'s ordnance officer — If you can then 
fill these positions with proper officers, not the rela- 
tives & social friends of the Comm*^^ — who however 
agreable their Comp^ are not always the most useful 



Ready for Chanccllorsvillc 83 

you might hope to have the finest army in the world — 
I beg you will excuse the liberty of my suggestions, 
& believe me with great respect 
Your obt svt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
His Excel Jeff" Davis 
Pres. C. S. 



No. 41. 
[TeU'gratu] 

Head Qiarters Freds. 26th March 63 
Genl S Cooper 

Adjt Insp. Genl Richmond, Va. 
Gen, 

On the 25th inst. Capt John S. Mosby attacked 
and routed a body of the enemy's cavalry, on the 
little river turnpike, near Chantilly. He reports ten 
killed and wounded, and a Lieutenant and thirty-five 
men, with their horses, arms, and equipments cap- 
tured. He sustained no loss.' 

I have the honour to be 
Your obedt Servant 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
[Endorsed] 
Genl Lee 

Hd Qrs Fredericksburg 
March 25. 1863 

' For Mosby 's report, sec O. R., 25, 2, 71-73. 



84 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 42. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Riehmond April 2, 1863 
By telegraph from Fredericksburg 2 

To His Excellency Jeff Davis 
I believe Burnside with his corps has gone to 
Kentucky.' He has assumed Command of Depart- 
ment of Ohio. No troops in my opinion have left 
Hooker's army for Tennessee will write by mail. 

R. E. Lee 
[Endorsed] 
April 2, 1863 
Genl R. E. Lee 

Fredericksburg 
Movement of Burnside and corps to Kentucky. 
33/99 D. A. 

No. 43. 
[Telegram] 

Reed at Richmond Apl 29, 1863 

By telegraph from Fredericksburg 29 

To His Excellency Jeff Davis. 

If any troops can be sent by rail to Gordonsville 

under a good officer I recommend it Longstreet's 

Division if available had better come to me and the 

troops for Gordonsville and protection of Rail Road 

^ General Lee had reported this movement on March 28 
{cf. 0. R., 15, 689). 



Chanccllorsvillc and After 85 

from Richmond and North Carolina if practicable. 
Cit'iil Howanl has six (6) batteries with him. Please 
order the fonvarding of our supplies.' 

R. E. Lee 
[Efidorscd] 

Telegram from 
Genl Lee 

Fredericksburg Va. 
April 29, 1863 

No. 44. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richd Apl 30th 1863 at 8:50 a.m. 
By telegraph from Fredericksburg 30 

To His Ex Presdt Davis 

Dispatch of 11.30 p.m. yesterday received. Genl 

Stuart is supposed to have crossed Rapidan last 

Night to interrupt Enemys column at Germania. 

He cut it in the afternoon near Maddens North of 

' Reprinted in Cooper to Lon^strcct (O. R., 25. 2, 758), 
with this addition after the word "Howard": "of the encn.y's 
fi)rcc, making toward GordonsN-illc." The movement an- 
nounced here was one of the preliminaries of the ChanccUors- 
villr n. dcscribctl in notes to Dispatch 45. itifra. A.s 

the I . -. -avalry was moving on Lee's flank and as a strong 
infantry force was suspected to be moN*ing beyond Lee's left 
toward '^ lie. it was highly important that the Virginia 

Central i: : \)c protected, in case the Federals could not 

be turned back. T. S. Rhctt's command, some i ,400 eflfcctivcs, 
was rushed to Gordonsville and other troops were ordered 
from Staunton. Lnngslrect's oM dirision had left L<'e and 
gone to Suffolk to watch a threatened movement from Norfolk. 



86 Lee's Dispatches 

Rapidan. He captured prisoners from 5th, i ith, and 
1 2th Corps.' 

[Endorsed] 
Telegram from 
Genl Lee 

Hd Qrs Fredericksburg 
April 30th 1863. 

No. 45. 

[Telegram] 

Translation of Despatch. 
Fredksbgs Hd Qrs [Apr. 30? 1863] 12 o'clock 
Learning, yesterday afternoon, that the enemy's 
right wing had crossed the Rapidan, and its head had 
reached the position assumed on our extreme left 
to arrest their progress, I determined to hold our 
lines in rear of Fredericksburg with part of the force 
and endeavor with the rest to drive the enemy back 
to the Rapidan. Troops were put in motion last 
night and will soon be in position 

I hear nothing of the expected reinforcements.^ 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
Genl 
Official 

Jas. Carey, Lt. 
[Endorsed] 
Genl Lee 

Hd Qrs Fredericksburg 
12 o'clock. 

' See notes to Dispatch 45, infra. 

' The few unpublished dispatches of this correspondence 



Chanccllorsvillc and After 87 

No. 46. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond May 7 1863 

By telegraph from Fredericksburg to His Exccly 

Prest. Davis 

I desire Genl Rodes to command D. H. Hill's old 

that relate to Chanct'llorsvillc do not throw any new liyht on 
a battle which difTercd from all those Lee had fou^'hl after 
assuming command in Virginia only in that it dceijencd the 
general gloom in the North and resulted in a reverse for the 
Federals as serious as any that they had received. Following 
the fiasco at Fredericksburg and Burnside's futile "mud 
march," Virginia was given a respite. With their outposts 
along the Rapidan, the Confederates went into winter-quarters 
and devoted their energies to improving the fighting-force of 
their Virginia armies. Debated questions of organization 
and of rank were settled, many men were given furloughs and 
allowed to go home, the gaps cau.scd by the bloody fights of 
1862 were filled up, the ordnance was improved and every 
preparation was made for a spring campaign, which, it was 
hoped, would end the war and secure the independence of the 
South. In April the Federals began to move once more, this 
time under the command of Joseph Hooker, a most successful 
and dashing diN-isifJn commander but a man incapable, as it 
developed, of handling a large army in the field. Hooker's 
plan was worked out after he had spent some time in raising 
the courage of the dispirited troops. He proposed first to 
send his cavalry across the Rappahannock and around Lee's 
left and rear to cut his communications and to harass his line. 
The main army was to be divided into two columns, one of 
which was to make a feint 1k*1ow Fredericksburg while the other 
carried the fords above the town and then moved down the 
right bank to catch Lee on his left flank. The whole plan was 
carried out with more expedition than the Federals had shown 



88 Lee's Dispatches 

Division. He is a good soldier behaved admirably 
in the last battles and deserves promotion. Genl 
Johnson will command Trimbles Division.' Genl 

since the beginning of the war. The cavalry did little and was 
no match for the troopers Lee could spare to follow them and 
to strike back at the Federals. But the infantry crossed the 
Rappahannock in good form and moved forward promptly. 
As announced in this dispatch to the President, Lee proceeded 
once more to divide his forces. Early he left at Fredericks- 
burg to hold that city and to prevent an advance along the 
line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad; 
with Jackson and the rest of the army, he fell back to that 
tangled section known as the Wilderness. On April 30, 
Hooker reached Chancellors ville, a little settlement about 
12 miles west of Fredericksburg and there took a good posi- 
tion. For reasons which have never been explained, however, 
he did not advance and found himself confronted by Lee on 
May I. It is not improbable that Hooker hoped that Sedg- 
wick, who had been sent against Early at Fredericksburg, 
would drive back his opponent, confuse Lee's right and enable 
him to trap the Confederates. In any event, Lee made the 
most of the delay. In conference with General Jackson, he 
determined once more to divide his little army and to send 
Jackson by a forced march around Hooker's right and rear. 
How brilliantly thac movement was completed and with 
what disastrous results to the Federals is familiar to all. 
While Lee kept up a show in Hooker's front, with a force that 
might have been crushed by a single well-directed blow, Jack- 
son with more than 25,000 of the finest soldiers in Lee's army, 
moved through a wooded country by obscure roads, and late 
in the evening struck Hooker's rear. The blow was stagger- 
ing, the losses were heavy and Hooker, after another day's 
uncertainty, hurried back across the Rappahannock. Splen- 
did as was Lee's victory, he felt and the country felt that it 
was dearly bought by the fatal injury to General Jackson. 
* These assignments were made by S. O., 125; 0. R., i, 25, 



Chanccllorsvillc .iiul AltL-r 89 

Triinblo is still disabled and I fear will nol l)c able to 
take the field. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 

[Eftdorsed] 

Telegram from 
Genl Lee 47/141 

Fredericksburg 
May 7 1863. 



787. Robert E. Rodcs (1829-1864) was a native of Virginia 
and a graduate of the N'ir^inia Military Institute, who brouj;ht 
an Alabama regiment to the front in 1861 and was in large 
measure identified with the troops of that State. His bri>,'ade 
in Octol)er, 1H61. was composed of the 5th, 6th. 12th and 6ist 
Alabama infantry and the 12th Mississippi. The last named 
rc^'iment was transferred and its place was taken by the 3rd 
and 26th Alabama rejjiments. He was wounded at Seven 
Pines, but served at Antietam, and at Chanccllorsvillc com- 
manded the foremost division of Jack^^on's corps in its assault 
of NLiy 2nd. When Jackson and A. P. Hill were both wounded 
he assumed command of the corps but yielded it the next 
f to General J. E. B. Stuart. For his y " at 

< -rsville, Rodes was made major-general . <d 

with distinction at Gettysburg. He was fatally wounded at 
V; ' - . iQ. 1864 (C.NLH.. Ala. 441 (T). Edward 

^73). here recommended for the command of 
Trimble's division, was a native of Kentucky, a graduate of 
West Point and had an admirable record for valor in the 
Mexican War. His services in the Contc<lerate army during 
the first two years of the war were largely confined to Western 
^' ' ' •■ 'f with credit. A .d 

': , ;icd to the conr a 

division composed of Stcuart's. Nicholls', J. M. Jones' and 



90 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 47. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Riehmond May 7, 1863. 
By telegraph from Fredericksburg 7 

To His Ex Prest Davis 

After driving Genl Sedgwick across the Rappa- 
hannock on the night of the fourth (4) inst I returned 
on the 5th to Chancellorsville with the divisions of 
Genls McLaws and Anderson. Their march was 
delayed by a storm which continued all night and the 
following day. In placing the troops in position on 
the morning of the sixth (6) to attack Genl Hooker 
It was ascertained he had abandoned his fortified 
position The line of skirmishes was pressed forward 
until they came within range of the enemys batteries 
planted north of the Rappahannock which from the 
configuration of the ground completely commanded 
this side. His army therefore escaped with the loss 
of a few additional prisoners ' 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 



the Stonewall brigade. He served with Lee until captured 
at the Bloody Angle, and when exchanged was assigned to 
Hood's Tennessee army. After much stiff fighting, he was 
again captured and did not see further service. 

^ This dispatch succinctly states the outcome of the Chan- 
cellorsville campaign after the events described in the note to 
Dispatch No. 45, q. v. 



Chanccllorsvillc aiul After 91 

No. 48. 

H'' Q- Fred'^ 25 May 1863 
M' President 

I beg leave to return you my thanks for your 
prompt consideration & action on my letter of the 
20th' — I may have misled you in my remarks upon 
Genls Heth & Pender as to my views regarding their 
promotion. I desired to call your attention to the 
fact, that if Genl A. P. Hill was promoted, a Com- 
mander for his division, would be required, & to 
bring to your consideration the merits of the two 
principal candidates in the division. If this was your 
understanding Sc you decided in favour of Heth, it 
was all I intended — I have a high estimate of Genl 
Heth. But Genl Pender has proved himself a capa- 
ble officer. Has been conspicuous in every battle, 
won the confidence of the division, & would seem to 
be entitled to the promotion — On announcing yes- 
terday to Genl Hill, the promotion of himself & 
Gen Ewell, & my intention to divide the army into 
three corps, he in the afternoon addressed me the 
•)^ letter. You will see his opinion of the two 
i. ......... I had always intended to have taken two 

of the six brigades of A. P. Hills division & to have 
united them with Ransoms & Cookes & formed a 
division, forming another division of the remaining 
four — I think it will be better to give this latter to 
Pender & the former to Heth — should it be thought 
better to promote him, rather than Ransom. Pender 
has long been identified with those four brigades — 

• Lee to Davis, O. R., 25, 2, 810. Davis to Lee, not fouDd. 



92 Lee's Dispatches 

Has at times been in Command. His conduct in the 
last battle was most gallant & I fear the effect upon 
the men of passing him over in favour of another not 
so identified with them/ 

I am very resp^ your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 
His Excy Jeff" Davis 
Pres C. States. 

' The fatalities at Chancellorsville made new appointments 
and promotions necessary. As early as May 4 (O. R., loc. 
cit., 774), General Lee had telegraphed Mr. Davis that he was 
in need of two major-generals and recommended R. E. Rodes 
for D. H. Hill's old division and Elzey for Trimble's division, 
unless Edward Johnson could take the field. Rodes and 
Johnson were named accordingly (O. R., loc. cit., 787; 
S. 0., No. 125, pars. I and II. See also, supra, No. 46). 
Soon thereafter, James A. Walker and William Smith were 
appointed to the commands previously held by Generals 
Paxton and Early, the rank of the new commanders being 
that of brigadier-general {ibid., 809; S. O., No. 135, §§X 
and XL). On the following day, General Lee wrote regard- 
ing minor promotions and suggested that the corps be reor- 
ganized and made smaller. He proposed that Ewell be given 
a corps composed of three divisions of Jackson's old corps and 
that a new corps be formed of one of Longstreet's divisions, 
A. P. Hill's old division and a new division to be composed 
of Ransom's, Cooke's and Pettigrew's brigades. He added: 
"In this event I also submit to you whether it would not be 
well to promote Ewell and A. P. Hill. The former is an 
honest, brave soldier, who has always done his duty well. 
The latter, I think upon the whole, is the best soldier of his 
grade with me. . . . R. H. Anderson and J. B. Hood are also 
capital officers. They are improving, too, and will make good 
corps commanders, if necessary." Regarding the proposed 



Chanccllorsvillc and After 93 

promotions to fill the place of A. P. Hill, he v\Totc that he 
prwumcd a major-j;encral wouUl \ic wanted fur Hill's divi.sion. 
He said: " Hcth is the senior brigadier in the division. I think 
him a good officer. He has lately joined this army, was in the 
lost battle (Chanccllorsvillc] and did well. His nomination 
haxing been once declined by the Senate, I do not know 
whether it would \)C projx^r to promote him. Pender is an 
excellent officer, attentive, industrious and brave; has been 
conspicuous in every battle, and I believe wounded in almost 
all of them." All the officers mentioned in this ctjrrcsjx>ndence 
are well known in military annals. Richard S. Ewell (1817- 
1872) was a West Point graduate (1840) and gained his 
captaincy in the Mexican army. He was named brigadier- 
general in Confederate service June 17, 1861 ; became major- 
general in October, 1861, and lost a leg at Groveton, Aug. 28, 
1862. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in May, 1863, 
taking charge of the 2nd corps, as had l>cen proi)osed by General 
Lee, with the divisions of Early, Johnson and Rodes. Ambrose 
P. Hill (1825-1865) K'railuated in the West Point class of 
1847 and wa.s named as colonel when the Virginia troops were 
organized in 1861. Commissioned brigadier-general in Feb., 
1862, he was promoted to the next rank. May 26, 1862, and, 
on May 24, 1863, was made lieutenant-general, his divisions 
being those of Anderson, Heth and Pender. Distinguished 
in every engaget: death in front of Petersburg, April 

2, 1865. wasaser; 10 the army. Upon him as perhaps 

upon none of his other young oflTicers, except Stuart, Gencrai 
T " '. and to him the memory of the great 

< ■<> revert on his dcathbctl, for among his 

last words were: "Tell A. P. Hill he must come up." Harry 
I" " ■* was a '" 1, West Point class of 1847, 

•' 55th \i , , iiitil Januar>', 1862, when he 
was promoted brigadier-general. He had won particular 
fame f- t ' •-svillc and was made major- 

general ,... .. icr. His command was his 

own brigade, Archer's, Pettigrcw's and Cooke's (O. R., 
25. 2, 840; S. O. 146. 51.). WiUiam D. Pender (1834- 



94 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 49. 

Head Qrs. Army No. Va. 
26th. May 1863. 
His Excy Jeffn Davis 

President Confed. States. 
Mr. President 

Since my letter of the 20th inst. ' in which I stated 
that I would assign General Gordon to the command 
of Rodes' old Brigade, I have received the enclosed 
petition of all the commissioned officers of Lawton's 
Brigade. I respectfully submit it to your better 
judgement, whether it will not be best, if General 
Lawton is still unfit for the field (as it would that he is 
from a late letter I have received from him) to keep 
General Gordon in his present position where he is so 
acceptable, and where he is entirely willing to re- 
main, being a Georgian by birth.'' If you decide that 

1863) was a North Carolinian, a West Point graduate of 1854, 
— a classmate of J. E. B. Stuart, — and entered the Confederate 
service as colonel of the 3rd N. C. His commission as briga- 
dier-general was dated June 3, 1862, and that as major- 
general, May 27, 1862. His new division was composed of the 
brigades of Pender, Lane, Thomas and McGowan. Pender 
was fatally wounded at Gettysburg and died at Staunton, 
July 18, 1863. Of him A. P. Hill wrote: "No man fell during 
the bloody battle of Gettysburg more regretted than he, 
nor around whose youthful brow were clustered brighter rays 
of glory" (C. M. H., 4, 337). The letter of General Hill, 
to which Lee refers in this communication does not appear in 
this correspondence or in the Official Records. 

^O. R., 25, 810. 

^ Brigadier-General A. R. Lawton (1818-1896) had been 
seriously wounded at Sharpsburg and was at this time incapa- 



ChanLcllors\illc and After 95 

this is best, then a brigade commander will be neces- 
siir>' for Rodcs' Brigade. In reference lo this I en- 
close Gcnl Rodes* letter upon that subject. Col. 
Morgan is highly spoken of by General Rodcs. He 
formerly commanded an Alabama Regiment of In- 
fantr>', but retired before the reorganization. Col. 
O'Neal is the Senior officer in the brigade, and com- 
manded it in the late battles, and had commanded it 
four or five months. I am not acquainted with any- 
one of the three officers mentioned by General Rodes, 
but would recommend the appointment of Col. 
O'Xeal as perhaps the most fit — as he has been iden- 
tified with his regiment and the brigade by long 
service as Lieut. Col. and Colonel.' 

I am with great respect 
Your obt. Servt. 

(Sgd.) R. E. Lee 

General. 

citato*! for military sc-rvicc. Ho was lator appointed quarter- 
• J and did not aj^ain join the army in the field 

..uch preferred active command to the burdcn-some 

duties assiirncd him. BriKadior-Gencral John B. Gordon, 
' '■a! and one of Loc's corps commanders, 

-:,. I Lawton's Im^'ade during the absence of 

the commander and was bcinR urged by the oflficcrs to keep 
it. He was ral on May 14, 1864. 

' This was ... -d correspondence at a later time 

(sec No. 81, infra). Colonel O'Xcal was here recommended 
' ral Leo. though not in very glowing terms. In the 

I his life in the C. M. H.. it Is stated that he was 
apfwintcd brigadier-general at this time but did not receive 
>n. But in writing to Mr. Davis on April 6, 
1 4 ; il Loc soomingly tjvcrlookod the fact that he had 

recommended Colonel O'Neal. "Colonel Morgan" was 



96 Lee's Dispatches 

Official Copy [of Dispatch 4q\ 

W. H. Taylor A. A. G. 
[Endorsed] 
Head Qurs. A. N. V. 
26th May 1863. 

R. E. Lee 
General 

Recommending Col. E. A. O'Neal 26th. Ala. Regt. 
for the position of Brig. Genl. and that he be assigned 
to the command of Rodes' (old) Brigade. 



No. 50. 

H°-QRS: Fred'^ 28 May '63. 
M"" President 

I have had the honour to receive your letter of the 
26 Inst : ' & regret that I should not have been more 
explicit in my former communication — ^ I think 
Genl Pender deserves promotion on account of valour 
& skill displayed on many fields, & particularly at 
the battle of Chancellorsville — I have so stated in 
my remarks on a letter of Genl A. P. Hill, forw*^ to the 
A. & L Genl — ^ He has worked so faithfully with 

later Brigadier-General John Tyler Morgan of Alabama, 
Senator in the Congress of the United States after the war 
and one of the most respected men in the South. For General 
Lee's recommendation of Colonel Morgan, see infra, No. 123, 
which dispatch explains the conflicts as to the appointment of 
Colonel O'Neal to the rank of brigadier-general. 

^O.R., 51,2, 716. 

^ I.e., Lee to Davis, May 25, 1863, supra, No. 48. 

3 Not found. 



Chanccllorsvillc and After 97 

the division in which he is, that to pass him over in 
the selection of a Commander for it, mij^ht be injuri- 
ous to the iHvision & discouraging to other officers — 
I have therefore recommended him for promotion — * 
As the other thvision will be composed of Hcths, 
Archers, Pettigrews & one other, either Ransoms, 
Cookcs or Perrys if I can get no other, ^ I have rec- 
omm' Heth the Senior — I should be verj' glad to 
have a division for Ransom, & should dislike to lose 
him from this army — I think he will make a fine 
division Commander — Under the circumstances I 
do not think any better arrangement can be made 
than what you propose — Send Genl French*" to 
Mississippi t^- put Ransom in his place — Genl 
French wishes to go to Mississippi & if he could serve 
with Art^ I think would be useful — From Genl 

* Pender's commission was of May 27, his assignment to his 
command was on May 30, 1863 (O. R., loc. cil., 840). 

* Cooke's was the one ultimately chosen. Heth's brigade was 
the 40th, 47th, 55lh regiments and the 22ml battahon, Vir- 
^:iiiia Infantry: Archrr's the I3lh Alabama rej^iment, the 
5th Alabama battalion, and the 1st, 7th and 14th Tennessee 
I "^ rew's the nth, 26th. 47th and 52nd North 
( is; Perry's the 2nd, 5th and 8th Florida 
rcKiments: Cooke's the 15th, 27th, 46th. 48th and 59th North 
C '' " >m's the 24th, 25th, 35th and 49th 

* Samuel G. French, a native of New Jersey and a graduate 
of W. " ' f 1843. In.. ' c with this suKk'cs- 
tion * was sent to ;;»pi. The Ransom 
here mentioned is Robert Ransom. Jr., of North Carolina, a 
West Point »•: ' f 1850, who first • • " ^ feder- 
ate army as . the 1st North » t. He 
was promoted major-general at this time (C. M. H., 4, 344 fl.). 

7 



98 Lee's Dispatches 

Longstreets account while under his command & as 
far as I have been able to judge from a distance he 
has no experience with Inf^ — I have forw"^ Genl D. 
H. Hills report of his operations below Kinston. 
One of his regts: on picket was surprised & behaved 
badly — He moved down with two brigades & drove 
the enemy within their trenches, but could accom- 
plish no other benefit — He thinks Genl Foster has a 
large force there still — I can get no satisfactory in- 
formation of the force of the enemy at West Point or 
of their purpose — Genl Elzys scout places his 
strength at 15,000, which I cannot believe — From 
the division of the Federal dept. into three districts 
under Naglie, Prince & Wessells, I have thought 
it probable that Genl Foster might be transferring 
his force to W[est] P[oint]. But that is not conclu- 
sive as Genl F — may still be retained in Command 
of the whole— I am glad to hear that the accounts 
from Vicksburg continue encouraging — I pray & 
trust that Genl Johnston may be able to destroy 
Grants army — I fear if he cannot attack soon, he 
will become too strong in his position — No time 
should ever be given them to fortify.'^ They work so 
fast. Yet I know how hard it is to be ready with our 
means. If the organization you propose of local 
forces in the different States can be successfully 
carried out, it will add greatly to our strength — I 

' This is the first reference in this correspondence to the 
adversary against whose attacks Lee was to wage his last 
campaign. "They work so fast" is a terse but a worthy 
tribute to the army with which General Grant gained the 
capitulation of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. 



Chanccllor^Nillc and After 99 

hope your Exc*^ hcaltli will continue to improve & 
that you may soon be restored — With great esteem 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lke 

Gcnl 
His Exc'' President Davis 

No. 51. 

[Telegratfi] 

Received at Richmond May 29th. 1863. 
By telegraph from Fredericksburg 

To His Excellency Prest. Davis 
I gave Genl Hill Discretionary orders from Rich- 
mond to apportion his force to the strength of Enemy 
and send what could be spared. He declined to act 
and requested positive orders. I gave such orders 
as I could at this distance. Now he objects. I can- 
not operate in this manner. I request you to cause 
such orders to be given him as your judgment dic- 
tates. ' Pickett has no Brigade in place of Jenkin's 

' Thi :i was in substance rc; General Leo on 

May3«'- .^5.2, Si2). The Hill i: J here was D. H. 

Hill (1821-1889). a native of South Carolina but closely identi- 
i.i and \orth Carolina. He graduated from 
^42, won the brevet rank of major in the Mexi- 
can War and retired from the army in 1849 to accept a pro- 
fess ■ ■'■ ■ ■ ~ " o. At the outbreak of the 
war I . North CaroUna and led it at 
the battle of Bethel. Promoted in September, he speedily 
rose to " 1 and was •' ' during,' the 
Seven I ' iiail btn-n al : . _:, it h.id l>ccn 



100 Lee's Dispatches 

so Genl Longstreet reports. Genl Hill has retained 
one Regt. from Pettigrew and one from Daniels.'' 

R. E. Lee 

89/267 

D A 

[Endorsed] 
May 29/63 

Genl R. E. Lee 



No. 52. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond June 4th. 1863. 
From Fredericksburg June 4th. 1863. 

Hon. Jas. a. Seddon: 

Reports from Genl Pickett and Major Collins' on 
the lower Rappahannock state that the Enemy from 
York River have crossed at Urbanna and are pro- 
sent to meet the threatened invasion of North Carolina. De- 
spite the sharp tone of this dispatch from General Lee, Hill 
possessed and deserved his confidence. Later friction with 
General Bragg led to his practical dismissal, although he held 
at the time the rank of lieutenant-general. 

^ Daniel's brigade was commanded by Junius Daniel of 
North CaroHna (1828-1864) and was composed of the 32nd, 
43rd, 45th and 53rd North Carolina regiments and the 2nd 
North Carolina battalion. For a sketch of his life, see C. 
M. H., 4, 306-07. He was killed during the Spotsylvania 
campaign. Pettigrew's brigade is listed on p. 97, note 2. 

^ Major C. R. Collins, commanding detached cavalry below 
Fredericksburg. 



Chanccllorsvillc and After 



H»l 



cec.ling up the Northern Neck/ I presume to join 
GenI Hooker. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Copit\l for the President 

By direction of the Secy of War 
R. O. II. Kean 
Chf of Bu of War 
{Endorsed] 
Genl R. E. Lee 
Fredericksburg. 

No. 53. 

[Telcfiram] 

Received at Richmond June 7th 1863. 
By Telegraph from Fredsby 7th. 

To His Excellency Jejf- Davis Presdt. &c. 
Genl Elzey reports reinforcements have been sent 
to Genl Hooker's army from Suffolk, Vorktown and 
West Pomt. I require all troops that can be spared 
Pickett' has been orde red to Culpepper. I advise 

• Thwc were part of the force which had been on a raid 
alonK the Mattaponi. See H. A. Wise's report O. R.. 27, 2, 
7'**3~7^4' 

• Cy. Lee's report to Davis. June 7. 1863. O. R.. 27, 2, 293. 

■ hcl Pickett's division united with his army 

I »• .,. ;-^;^-^^'k*^''* f^rigade should po to Hanover 

Junction. M.cah Jenkins* brisade could lake 0..kc\ place 
He adds: "If it is true, as refwrted by General Elzey. that 
only 1.500 of the enemy remain in Suffolk. R. ' • 

will be more than sufficient for that line. W 



102 Lee's Dispatches 

Cook's brigade be sent immdy to the Junction^ and 
Jenkins take its place. The Cavalry reported South 
of South Anna and West of the Junction must be our 
own, possibly a Regt. from North Carolina, though 
I have heard of its being on the march. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 

78/234 

AV. 

[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 
Fredksburg. 

No. 54. 

[Telegram] 

June [15] 1863 

By telegraph from Culpeper 15th. 
To His Excellency Jeff. Davis 
God has again crowned the valor of our troops 
with success. Early's division stormed the Enemys 

evacuated, and the force at Yorktown reduced, there is nothing 
to be apprehended from that quarter and Cooke and Jenkins 
should be directed to follow me as soon as you think it safe 
for them to do so. " For further information on the situation 
in the Peninsula at this time, see Seddon to Lee, June 9, 1863, 
O. R., 27, 3, 874. 

* Hanover Junction on the Virginia Central Railroad, from 
which point troops might easily be moved either to the south 
and east of Richmond or back to General Lee's army. 



Gcttybbiirj^^ 103 

entrenchments at Winchester capturing their artillery 

&c.' 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

23/9-? 

TT. 
[Eudorsed] 

Genl R. E. Lee 
Ciilpt^pper 

No. 55. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond July [10] 1863 
By Telegraph from Near Hagerstown via Martins- 
burg loth. 

To His Excellency Jkffn. Davis 
Your telegram of July 9th. has been received. I 
thank you for the troops sent.' My letter^ will 
inform you the state of things, the army is in good 
health and condition and hold a position between 
Hagerstown and Williamsport. The Enemy is 
gradually making appearance against us. I have 

' Genl. Jubal A. Early's report of the capture of Winchester 
is to be found in O. R.. 27, 2. 459 fif. With this message is 

1 "Oran^:c C. H. 6" as follows: "If 

- ;.lctl in X .r;h Cm . Una he had better 

be drawn towards Richmond." 

• Davis to Lee, O. R.. 27, 3, i>so, iii wliich Davis ' 

Lee that Sam Jones with 3,000 infantry and two ! 

of artillery had been ordered to Winchester to receive orders 
from G" 

'Pr>V _ one printed in O. R., 27, 2,300. July 10, 1863. 

With this dispatch begin those which General Lee wrote after 



104 Lee's Dispatches 

sent all the prisoners and most of the wounded 
across the river. 

R. E. Lee. 
65/collect 260 

D. H. to Staunton. 

[Endorsed] 
Genl. Lee 

Martinsburg. 

the Gettysburg campaign. The most important unpublished 
item of the De Renne collection, in its new light on Gettys- 
burg, is Dispatch No. 60, infra. The collection, while rich 
in Gettysburg dispatches, contains many that are already in 
print and are accordingly omitted. The Gettysburg campaign 
followed Chancellorsville even more naturally than the Mary- 
land campaign of 1862 followed Manassas. Hooker's defeat 
was an extremely heavy blow to the North not so much in the 
actual losses, serious though they were, as in the confirmation 
it gave to the widespread belief that the South could not be 
subdued. Never had the spirit of the North sunk so low as 
when Hooker's broken corps limped back to safety across the 
Rappahannock. Many who had frantically proposed opposi- 
tion to peaceable secession in 1863 were willing, in June, 1863, 
to let the "erring sisters" of Scott's figure "go in peace." 
Moreover, the victory over Hooker raised enthusiasm in the 
South above anything that had been known even after Second 
Manassas or Fredericksburg. It was felt that a single direct 
blow, aimed at the vitals of the North, might end the war and 
bring peace. On June 5, General Lee moved his headquarters 
to Culpeper and took most of his army with him. A. P. Hill's 
corps was left at Fredericksburg with orders to watch Hooker, 
then just across the river, to call for reinforcements from 
Richmond if the enemy threatened and to follow Hooker 
should he leave his position. Ewell went ahead up the valley, 
Longstreet followed and Hill came on as soon as Hooker moved 
to keep between Lee and Washington. After manoeuvres too 



GcUysbiir^ 105 

No. 56. 

[Tele gram] 

Received at Richmond July i6th. 1863. 

By Telegraph from Near Martinsburg 14th. \'ia 

Staunton i6th. 
To Jkkf. Davis Prcs<lt. 

After remaining at Hagerstown long enough to 

well known to need ri'jx^tition here, the opixjsinjj h ' '.ed 

at Gettysburg, July I -3, 1 863. General Lee's i es, 

Nos. 55-59 inclusive, relate to the details of the return move- 
r • Vir>:inia soil. General Lee's first report of the "un- 

ii is^sue" of Gettysburjj was contained in a dispatch 
of July 4. On the 7th, he wTotc more fully and explained at 
some length the reasons for his return by the route he chcse. 
He sai«l in part : " FindinK the jxjsition too strong to Ix' carried 
and being much hindered in collecting necessary supplies for 
the army by the numerous Ixxlies of local and other troops 
which watched the p.isses, I determined to withdraw to the 
west side of the mountains. This has been safely accom- 
plished with great lal>or and the army is now in the Nncinity 
of this place [Hagerstown]. One of my reasons for mov-ing 
in this direction after crossing the mountain was to protect our 
..... ...;^j^ ^Yic sick and wounded which had \xxn sent back to 

jxirt and which were threatened by the enemy's 
cavalry. Our advance reached here yesterday afternoon in 
time to sup|X)rt our cavalry in repulsing an attempt of 
the enemy to reach our trains. Before leaving Gettysburg, 
such of the sick and wounded that could be removed were 
sent to Williamsport, but the heavy rains that have interfered 
so much i^ith our general movements, have so swollen the 
Potomac as to render it unfordable and they are still on the 
north side. Arrangements arc being made to ferr>' them over 
today." 



io6 Lee's Dispatches 

cause the enemy to concentrate his forces in that vi- 
cinity and finding he was fortifying himself in his posi- 
tion I thought it advisable in the present uncertain 
stage of the river to withdraw the army to the south 
side of the Potomac which was done last night with- 
out molestation. We should have nothing to regret 
had not Genl Pettigrew received a severe wound in 
a feeble attack of the enemy's cavalry upon our rear 
guard as he was being withdrawn this morning across 
the river. ^ 

R. E. Lee. 

94/collect 376 

CV. 
[Endorsed] 

July 14th. 1863. 
Genl. R. E. Lee 

Near Martinsburg, Va. 



No. 57. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond July 24th. 1863. 

By Telegraph from Culpeper 24th. To His Ex- 
cellency Jeffn. Davis. 

I reached here this morning with Longstreet's 
Corps. I expect Hill's Corps to arrive within ten 

'This was Brig.-Genl. J. J. Pettigrew, mentioned in previous 
dispatches. He had been wounded by a pistol shot in cross- 
ing the Potomac on July 14 and died on July 17, as reported 
by Lee to Seddon, O. R., 27, 3, 1016. "The army has lost a 



Gettysburg 107 

(10) miles this evening. Ewcll's will come by 
Thornton Gap.* 



R. E. Lee. 



25/100 
PC. 
[Kttdorscd] 

July 24th. 1863 
Genl. R. E. Lee 
Culpepper. 



No. 58. 

[Telcfiriim] 

Received at Richmond July 25th. 1863. 

By Tclej^aph from Culpeper 25th. To His Excel- 
lency Jkffn. Davis 
The wish expressed in your telegram of 22nd. has 
been anticipated.' Surgn. Mitchell is now on leave 
to visit his mother. 

R. E. Lee. 
22/28 
DV. 
[Eftdorscd] 

July 25th. 1863 
Genl. R. E. Lee. 



brave soldier and the Confederacy an accomplished officer," 
wrote the great commander. 

'Cf. Lcc to J. E. B. Stuart. July 24. iS6;^: 0. R., 27. 3, 1037. 

This was the fomial nul of ilu- r(tnr:i from GcttysburK. 
' Not fotmd. 



io8 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 59. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond July 31st. 1863. 

By Telegraph from Culpeper 31st. To Hon. 

Jeffn. Davis President C. S. 
Reports from Scouts indicate movements of 
Enemy to Fredericksburg. I am making corres- 
ponding movements.' 

R. E. Lee. 

Genl. 
14/56 
VB. 
[Endorsed] 

Telegram from Genl. Lee 
Culpepper C. H. 
July 31st. 1863. 

No. 60. 

Unofficial 

Camp Culpeper 31 July '63 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 

President Confed. States 
M'" President 

Your note of the 27th enclosing a slip from the 
Charleston Mercury relative to the battle of Gettys- 
burg is rec^ — ^ I much regret its general censure 

'See Lee to Davis, Aug. i, 1863, No. 61, wfra. 

^ Not found. The Mercury was notorious for its anti- 
administration sentiments and in this article apparently 
blamed General Heth for the failure at Gettysburg. 



Cicttvshurj^ KM) 

upon the operations of the army, as it is calculatetl to 
do us no ^(hk\ either at home or abroad. But I am 
preparetl for similar eriticism & as far as I am eon- 
cerned the remarks fall harmless. I am particularly 
sorry however that from partial information & mere 

inption (){ facts that injustice should be done any 
t'lmiT, & that occasion should Ixj taken to asperse 
your conduct, who of all others are most free of blame, 
I do not fear that your position in the confidence of 
the people, can be injured by such attacks, & I hope 
!*!- ofhcial repTjrts will protect the reputation of every 
oiiicer. These cannot be made at once, & in the 
meantime as you state much falsehcxxl may be 
promulgated. But truth is mighty & will eventually 
prevail. As regards the article in question I think 
it contains its own contradiction. Although charg- 
ing Heth with the failure of the battle, it expressly 
states he was absent wounded.^ The object of the 
writer & publisher is evidently to cast discredit upon 
the opiTalions of the Gov* & those connected with 
it & thus gratify feelings more to be pitied than envied 
— To take notice of such attacks would I think do 
more hanrj than good, & would be just what is de- 

1. The delay that will necessarily occur in 
it vriving ofTicial reports has induced me to make for 

* Hcth's rcfwrt of the action of his diNnsion will be found 

2, 637 fT., and the reixirt of Bri^'.-Gcnl. Jf>soph 

landinjj the division on the second day, will be 

found in ibid,, 650 fl. Heth was wounde<l on the first day of 

and Brig.-Gcnl. Joseph Davis durint; this limr 



no Lee's Dispatches 

the information of the Dept : a brief outline of opera- 
tions of the army, in which however I have been 
unable to state the conduct of troops or officers/ 
It is sufficient to show what was done & what was 
not done. No blame can be attached to the army for 
its failure to accomplish what was projected by me, 
nor should it be censured for the unreasonable 
expectations of the public — I am alone to blame, in 
perhaps expecting too much of its prowess & valour. 
It however in my opinion achieved under the guidance 
of the Most High a general success, though it did 
not win a victory. I thought at the time that the 
latter was practicable. I still think if all things could 
have worked together it would have been accom- 
plished. But with the knowledge I then had, & in 
the circumstances I was then placed, I do not know 
what better course I could have pursued. With my 
present knowledge, & could I have foreseen that the 
attack on the last day would have failed to drive the 
enemy from his position, I should certainly have 
tried some other course. What the ultimate result 
would have been is not so clear to me. Our loss 
has been very heavy, that of the enemy s is propor- 
tionally so. His crippled condition enabled us to 
retire from the Country, comparatively unmolested. 
The unexpected state of the Potomac was our only 
embarrassment.^ I will not trespass upon your 

'' See Lee's report to Genl. S. Cooper. A. and I. G., July 31, 
1863, loc. ciL, 305-311- 

5 This letter, to be appreciated, must be read in connection 
with the fervid utterances of other Confederate commanders. 
Writing, it will be observed, in a spirit of frankness. General 



Gettysburg 1 1 i 

Exc'^ time more. With prayers for your health & 
happiness, & the recognition by your gratified country 
of your j;reat ser\'ices. 

I remain truly & sincerely yours 

R. E. Lee. 

Lcc casts no aspersions on any of his subordinates. Neither 
Heth, Lon^street, Kwell, nor Stuart, — the four officers most 
frequently blamed for the defeat, — receives a word of criticism. 
The reader who cares to study the controversy evoked by the 
faiUire of the campaign has abundant literature. The reports 
of all the Confederate ofticers who survived arc printed in 

0. R., toe. cit. General Longstreet's defence and his Nnrtual 
attack on Lee's generalship durinj,' the campai^jn will be found 
in his Manassas to Appomattox, chapters xxv-xxviii. Justice 
to Longstreet requires us to remember that the writer of this 
questionable narrative was an old man, soured by failure and 
embittered by circumstances. The Longstreet of 1865 could 
not have written this book. A valuable critique of the battle 
is that of Brig.-Gcnl. E. P. Alexander, yf Hilary Memoirs of a 
Confederatf. As chief of artillery in Longstreet's corps, 
Alexander had every opportunity of seeing the battle and of 
ir.r.i •;rir..: 'ho responsibility of those concerned in it. Colonel 
Jul.n S. Muoby has defended Stuart's part in the campaign 
in his Stuart's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign. The ar- 
ticles on the 1 in Battles and Leaders oj the Civil War 
will be found ^^ 

The criticisms to which General Lcc refers in this letter pro- 
? n on the great commander than 

i Iter of Aug. 8, \<iTitten nine days 

afterwards, he declares in memorable terms: "I know how 
; are to censure and how ready to blame others for the 

1. . . .. ..iment of our ex{xx:tation5. This is unbecoming in 

a generous people, and I grieve to see its expression. The 
general remedy f->r the want of success in a military commander 
ii his removal. This is natural, and in many instances, projx*r. 
For, no matter what may be the ability of the officer, if he 



112 Lee's Dispatches 

N0.61. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond August ist. 1863. 

By Telegraph from Culpeper ist. To Hon. Jeffn. 
Davis 

Reports of enemy moving to Fredericksburg are 
not confirmed to-day. On the contrary they appear 

loses the confidence of his troops disaster must sooner or later 
ensue. I have been prompted by these reflections more than 
once since my return from Pennsylvania to propose to Your 
Excellency the propriety of selecting another commander for 
this army. I have seen and heard expression of discontent 
in the public journals at the result of the expedition, I do 
not know how far this feeling extends in the army. My 
brother officers have been too kind to report it, and so far 
the troops have been too generous to exhibit it. It is fair, 
however, to suppose that it does exist, and success is so neces- 
sary to us that nothing should be risked to secure it. I there- 
fore, in all sincerity, request Your Excellency to take measures 
to supply my place. I do this with the more earnestness 
because no one is more aware than myself of my inability for 
the duties of my position. I cannot even accomplish what I 
myself desire. How can I fiilfill the expectations of others? 
In addition I sensibly feel the growing failure of my bodily 
strength. I have not yet recovered from the attack I experi- 
enced the past spring. I am becoming more and more in- 
capable of exertion, and am thus prevented from making the 
personal examinations and giving the personal supervision to 
the operations in the field which I feel to be necessary. I am 
so dull in making use of the eyes of others I am frequently 
misled. Everything, therefore, points to the advantages to be 
derived from a new commander, and I the more anxiously 
urge the matter upon Your Excellency from my belief that 
a younger and abler man than myself can readily be attained. 



Gettysburg 113 

to be advancing on this route. Have crossed col- 
umns of infantry on jx^ntoon bridj^'cs at Ellis' and 
Kelly's Fords and Rappahannock Bridge. Their 
cavalry have pressed ours this side of Brandy 

I know that he ^nll have as gallant and brave an army a-s ever 
existed to second his efforts, and it wouKl Ix* the happiest ilay 
of my life to sec at its head a worthy leader — one that would 
accomplish more than I could [jcrform and all that I have 
wished. I hoix; Vour Excellency will attribute my request 
to the true reason, the desire to serve my country, and to do 
all in my power to insure the success of her rij^hteous cause. 
I have no complaints to make of any one but myself. I have 
received nothing but kindness from those above me, and the 
most considerate attention from my comrades and compan- 
ions in arms. To Your Excellency I am six'cially indil'UHl 
for uniform kindness and consideration. You have done 
everything in your power to aid me in the work committed to 
my charge, without omitting anything to promote the general 
welfxire. I pray that your efforts may at length be crowned 
with success, and that you may live long to enjoy the thanks 
of a grateful people" (O. R., 51, 2, 752-5^^). Davis' reply to 
this letter is a tribute to the character and judgment of the 
Confederate President. It will Ix; found printed in O. R. 29, 
2, 639-40). The most significant part of the dispatch printed 
in the text is that which relates to the "might-have-beens" 
of the cam|>aign. Careful as is General L' ' • ''-mcnt, it 
contains these imjwrtant facts: (i) that he : ; his plan 

of campaign as practicable, (2) that he Ix'lievetl it "would have 
been accomplished " " if all things could have worked together," 
(3) that he did not see on July 31, almost a month after the 
battle, what "bettor course" he could have pursued on July 
3 with the information he then had and (4) that tri/A his 
present knoulrd^e" (i.e., on July 31) and could he "have fore- 
seen that the att.ick on the last day would have failcil," he 
would have trird ":u)me other course." These statements 
have l^ecn dissected and arranged in order because their 
• 



114 Lee's Dispatches 

Station.^ Their camp seems to be in m.otion. I 
shall not fight a battle north of the Rapidan, but 
will endeavor to concentrate everything behind it. 
It would be well to send all reinforcements in Rich- 
mond to Orange C. H. 

R. E. Lee. 
86/364 
VM. 
[Endorsed] 
August I St. 1863. 
Genl. R. E. Lee 
Culpepper. 

substance has been controverted by General Longstreet. The 
latter claims that General Lee told him, in a private letter, 
"had I but followed your advice, instead of pursuing the 
course that I did, how different all would have been!" Long- 
street also cites the testimony of Col. T. J. Goree of Texas 
that General Lee remarked to him that if he had permitted 
Longstreet to carry out his (Longstreet's) plans, instead of 
making the attack on Cemetery Hill, the campaign would have 
been successful (Manassas, etc., 400). It would be easy to 
criticise these statements and to dispute the authority upon 
which they rest. But General Lee's own words seem a 
sufficient contradiction of Longstreet's remarkable claim. 
General Lee believed the attack would succeed when he 
ordered it; he did not believe, on July 31, that it should have 
failed had "all things worked together." Only in the know- 
ledge which neither he nor Longstreet possessed on July 3 
and in the realization that the attack which should not have 
failed did fail, was he prepared to admit that he would have 
followed a different course. 

* See Lee's detailed comment on these movements, O. R., 
27, 2, 324. See also Hill's report, ibid., 609. It is worthy of 
note that General Lee's announced purpose not to fight north 



Rest and Rcort^anization 115 

No. 62. 

HtiAu Quarters AN. Va. 
August 1st 1863 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 

President Conf States 
M' President 

I have the honour to recommend Brig. Gen. C. M. 
Wilcox to the command of the division lately under 
Gen. Pender' — This division is composed of two 
brigades from N.Carolina under Gcnl Lane & Scales, 
one from So. Carolina (Gen. M'Gowan's) and one 
from Georgia' (Gen. Thomas') — Gen Lane the 
senior brigadier of the division is not recommended 
for promotion^ — Gen Thomas the next in rank, a 

of the Rapidan was carried out the next year when he "con- 
centrated everything" .south of the river and met General 
Grant there. The reasons were the same in both cases : north 
of the Rapidan Lee had to defend a line too long for his 
weakened army. South of the river he could operate on a 
shor ' nearer his base. 

' . D. Pender, major-jjeneral, had been mortally 

wounded by a bursting shell on July 2 and died at Staunton, 

V ^ • is\ 1863. '^ ' '■ ' ' of 

t.most . ice. 

'This had been a very large and strong diWsion. J. H. 
T ' ' ' osetl of the 7th, 18th, 28lh, 3.ud and 

L. Thomas' the 14th, 35th, 45lh and 
49th Georgia: A. M. Scales' the 13th, i6th, 22nd, 34th and 
38th North Car- ' " McGowan's the 1st S. C. ("Orr's") 
rifles, 1st S. C. J J army and the 12th, 13th and 14th 

South Carolina. 

'Tliiswa ' " ' familiarly;. ' "little 

General" or .-.ine." Hew <• of the 



ii6 Lee's Dispatches 

highly meritorious officer if promoted it is thought 
might create dissatisf action. "* Gen. Wilcox is one 
of the oldest brigadiers in the service, a highly 
capable officer, has served from the commencement 
of the war and deserves promotion. Being an officer 
of the regular army he is properly assignable any- 
where.^ I think it probable that some meritorious 
officers who have been on duty in Gen. Johnston's 
Department may be without a command.*^ If Gen. 
Stephen D. Lee is in this situation I would recom- 
mend that he be ordered to this army to take charge 
of Wilcox's brigade in case of the latter' s promo- 
Virginia Military Institute and was engaged in teaching prior 
to the outbreak of the war. He entered as major of the ist 
North Carolina regiment, the so-called "Bethel" regiment, 
was elected colonel of the 28th N. C. and was promoted briga- 
dier-general, Nov. I, 1862, which rank he held until the end. 
After the war he returned to educational work. 

"• Edward L. Thomas of Georgia, a graduate of Emory 
College and a soldier during the Mexican War, where for 
gallant service he was promoted lieutenant from the ranks. 
At the outbreak of the war he raised a regiment (the 35th Va.) 
and was commissioned colonel, Oct. 15, 1861. He was made 
brigadier in 1862. 

s Cadmus M. Wilcox, born in North Carolina but raised in 
Tennessee, was a West Pointer, class of 1846. and saw service 
in the Mexican War. Serving for some years as instructor at 
West Point (1852-57) he was an authority on rifles. His first 
commission in the Confederate army was that of colonel of 
the 9th Alabama (July 9, 1861) and his promotion to the rank 
of brigadier came on Oct. 21, 1861. In accordance with the 
recommendation of General Lee in this letter, he was made 
major-general Aug, 9, 1863. 

^ Owing to the capture of Vicksburg. 



Rest aiul Reorganization 117 

tion' — Col. Floumoy of this brigade is represented 
as an excellent officer and worthy of promotion, but 
he is now absent badly wounded and it is siiid will 
not be fit for duty in six months." But for that, I 
should recommend him for promotion. Should Gen. 
S. D. Lee not be available, Col James Deshler of 
Alabama a grailuate of the Military Academy and I 
believe, a good officer, might be obtained. 
I am with great respect 

Your oby servant 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

' Stephen D. Lee remained wnth the army in the far 
South and attained the rank of lieutenant-general. Wilcox's 
brijjade (.\. P. Hill's [^^rd] Corps, Anderson's division) was 
composed of the 8th, Qlh, 10th, nth and 14th Alabama 
rej;iments. 

• The name "Flournoy" is undoubtedly a lapsus pcnna- for 
Forney. No Floumoy commanded a rej^mcnt in Wilcox's 
brigade but Colonel William H. Forney had led his regiment, 
the loth Alabama, at Gettysburg, where he was wounded in the 
arm. General Lee apparently did not know it but Colonel 
Forney had been captured and was in the hands of the enemy 
{see infra. No. 65). He was not exchanged until the autumn 
of 1864 when he was commissioned brigadier-general, as here 
recommended, and assigned to Wilcox's brigade which he led 
with valor during the Petersburg campaign. General Forney 
was one of four distinguished brothers who held Confederate 
commissions — one as major-general, one as brigadier, one as 
1. one as major. This record is almost 
;-. — .. .... •'" the annals of the South, rivalling in the 

numlxrr of . .ned ofTicers if not in rank the family of 

Lee. in whicii tjjc lather was general and \*inual commander- 
in-chief, one son a major-general, one a brigadier-general and 
the other a captain. 



ii8 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 63. 

H^Q'^^ A.N.Va. 
5th Aug 1863 
His Exc'' President Davis 

Richmond, 
Mr. President, 

I have the honour to return the letters enclosed 
in that of your Excellency's of the 4th inst'; No 
arrangements have been made for consolidating the 
regiments as Col Holt supposes. It is a subject that 
would require time and to be beneficial, should be 
executed judiciously. I have thought it better to 
keep the regiments as they are for the present, and 
with brigades where it could be done to advantage. 
I should prefer to recruit the regiments if possible, 
and hoped that it could be done under your recent 
proclamation, calling all men under forty five with 
service. I cannot say now what is the exact strength 
of Col Holt's regiment, but it must be very desirable 
to recruit it up to the standard he proposes. To 
send it to Ga at this time for that purpose, I do not 
think advisable, as many other regts would consider 
they had equal claims to the same indulgence, and 
thus a large force would be taken from the army. At 
this time every man is wanted in the ranks that can 
be got there, and it would be far preferable that the 
accounts should be sent to the regiments. As to 
the propriety of converting Col Holt's into a cavalry 
regt, I think it had better be continued as infantry. 
If we could get horses for our dismounted cavalry 

' Not found. 



Rest and Rcorganiziition iiy 

wc should have as many as could be supported. But 
getting horses is the difficulty. If they can be pro- 
curhI, I recommend that they be furnished to the 
cavalry already organized and partially instructed.' 
I am with great respect, 
Your Excellency's obt. servt. 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 



No. 64. 

Head Quarters A N Va 

Aug. loth 1863 

His Excellency Jefferson Davis 
President Confederate States 
M' President 

The presence of Col Gabriel C. Wliarton who has 
arrived with his regiment from the army of Gen S. 
Jones' enables me to make some changes in the 



* The Official Records contain no on this 

subject and no rcfcancc to the jn , : iation." 

The officer mentioned is Col. Boiling H. Holt, 35th Ga. 
Infantry, Thomas' ' "' ' n, A. P. Hill's 

(3rd) corjv;. No or; ^ : .and at the time 

of this dispatch have been located. 

' '" " ' ' ' ' ' . •• * • le, had Ix^n 

scrvr „ ., .inia but had 

been sent to Winchester July 3i and had been ordered thence 
to General I.<t*s army on July 27 (O. R.. 27, 2, 1031, 1041). 
He was sj)ccdily returned In scrvire in the Valley. See No. 
66, infra. 



I20 Lee's Dispatches 

Virginia brigades which I think will be beneficial — 
I propose therefore to transfer the 49th Va. Regt. 
from Gen. Early's to Gen. Picketts division — "^ 
This will strengthen Pickett a little and I believe 
will be agreeable to the regiment — This regiment was 
formerly commanded by Colonel now Genl W™ 
Smith.^ I propose also to transfer the 25th Va. from 
Johnson's division" to Early's to replace the 49th — 
this will be agreeable to all parties — In order to 
compensate Johnson's division I propose to assign 
Col. Wharton with his regiment^ to the brigade 
formerly commanded by Genl John M. Jones — and 
to assign Gen. John M. Jones to the command of 
Gen. W™. Smith's former brigade in Early's division 
• — ^ This gives a good commander to this brigade, 

^ The 49th Va. Infantry, Lieut. -Col. J. Catlett Gibson, 
belonged at this time to Smith's brigade, Early's division, 
Ewell's corps. Pickett's division belonged to Longstreet's 
corps. 

3 The famous "Extra-Billy " Smith mentioned above, several 
times Governor of Virginia, member of the Confederate 
Congress, who attained the rank of major-general, August 
1863. 

"f The 25th Va., Colonel J. C. Higginbotham, belonged to 
Jones' brigade, Johnson's division, Ewell's (2nd) corps. Jones' 
brigade at this time was composed of six Va. regiments, — the 
2 1st, 25th, 42nd, 44th, 48th and 50th. 

s Wharton's old regiment was the 51st Va. 

* Jones' brigade {see Note 4) , while its commander was absent 
wounded, was temporarily commanded by Colonel, later 
General B. T. Johnson. Smith's brigade was composed of the 
13th, 31st, 49th, 52nd and 58th Va. John M. Jones of Virginia 
was a West Pointer, class of 1841 and had been an instructor 
at the Academy. Serving as A. A. G. to General R. S. Ewell, 



Rest .in<l Rcorj^anizalioii 121 

and leaves \Miarton the Senior Colonel to command 
the brigade of John M. Jones — It also brings to- 
gether troops from the same section and unites the 
50th & 51st Va. Regts which were formerly under the 
command of Col. Wharton in Western \'irginia and 
organized by him. I became acquainted with Col. 
Wharton in Western Virginia and Lliink him an 
e-xcellent soldier — He is one of the oldest Colonels 
and has commanded a brigade for a long time — I 
would therefore recommend him for promotion' to 
supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation 
of Gen W'" Smith." By the arrangement which I pro- 
pose he will be in command of a brigade in John- 
son's division and Gen. John M. Jones transferred 
to a brigade in Early's division and I hope many 
difficulties will be reconciled. 

The difficulty of supplying a commander to Wil- 
cox's brigade providetl he is promoted as has been 
recommended is not so easily overcome — The person 
best entitled and best qualified in my opinion is 
Col Forney of the loth Alabama in that brigade — 
He is an officer of intelligence, energ>' and bravery 
and of long and faithful service. Unfortunately he 
is badly wounded and in the hands of the enemy. 
He was first wounded at the battle of Williamsburg 

he was promoted l)rigadicr-Rencral in 1863. He was killed in 
action. May 5, 1H64. 

' Gabriel C. Wharton entered the scrvncc as major of the 
45th Va. in July. 1861. and in August was made colonel of the 
51st. He w.t^ i: ural as here proposed. 

• Resigned to ! c for Governor of Virpnia, to 

which oflficc he was elected. 



122 Lee's Dispatches 

in his arm. He had scarcely recovered from that 

when he was wounded in the same place at the battle 

of Gettysburg — He also received a wound in the 

other arm, this was comparatively slight though the 

ball struck him in the side — But he received a third 

wound in the foot which is represented as more 

serious breaking some of the bones — I fear therefore 

it will be a long time before he will be fit for duty — 

While I think it better to wait for the present and 

leave the brigade in command of a Junior Colonel 

now with it than to obtain a commander outside 

of it unless one of great excellence can be procured — ^ 

I enclose a letter from Gen. A. P. Hill on the subject 

and ask your Excellency to exercise your judgment 

in the case.'° 

I am with great respect 

You obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 65. 

Head Qurs. A. N. Va. 
August 17th 1863. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 

President Confederate States 
Mr. President 

The number of desertions from the army is so great 
and still continues to such an extent that unless 

' This recommendation was carried out. Colonel L. C. C. 
Sanders of the nth Ala. commanded the brigade during 
Forney's imprisonment. See supra, No. 62. 

" Not found. 



Rest aiul Reorganization 123 

some cessation of them can be caused I fear success 
in the field will he seriously endangered. Inuncdi- 
ately on the publication of the amnesty which I 
thought would be beneficial in its eflects, many 
presumed on it and absented themselves from their 
commands choosing to place on it a wrong interpreta- 
tion.' In one corps the desertions of North Carolin- 
ians and to some extent of Virginians has grown to 
be a very serious matter. The Virginians go off 
in many cases to join the various partizan corps in 
the state. General Imboden writes that there are 
great numbers of deserters in the Valley who conceal 
themselves successfully from the small squads sent 
to arrest them. Many cross the James River near 
Balcony falls enroute for the south along the moun- 
tain ridges. Night before last thirty went from one 
regiment and eighteen from another. Great dis- 
satisfaction is reported among the good men in the 
Army at the apparent impunity of deserters. 

' The amnesty recommended by General Lee was con- 
tained in A. and I. G's G. O. No. 109, Aug. 11, 1863, as follows: 

"I. * -al pardr- " n to all officers and men within 

the O y, now ;t m the army, who shall, within 

twenty da>*s irom the publication of the address of the Presi- 
de " ** ^'ite in which the absentees may then be, return 
to : duty. 

*'II. All men who have been accused or convicted and 
ur. ' ' e for absence without leave or <! 

ex <• who have been twice convict- 

scrtion, w\\i be returned to their respective commands tor 
duty" (O. R., 29, 2, 641-42). This was communicated 
to the Army of Northern Virvrinia in General Lee's G. 0. No. 
82, August 12, 1863 (O. R.. 51, 2, 754). 



124 Lee's Dispatches 

In order to remove all palliation from the offense 
of desertion and as a reward to merit, I have in- 
stituted in the Army a system of furloughs, which 
are to be granted to the most meritorious and urgent 
cases at the rate of one for every hundred men 
present for duty.^ I would now respectfully submit 
to your Excellency the opinion that all has been done 
which forebearance and mercy call for and that 
nothing will remedy this great evil which so much 
endangers our cause except the rigid enforcement of 
the death penalty in future in cases of conviction. 
I am with great respect 
Your obt Servt. 

R. E. Lee 
General 

No. 66. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond Augt. 24 1863 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 24 
To Genl. S. Cooper 
On application of Genl. Sam Jones, I have directed 
Jenkins and Wharton's Brigades to report to him.^ 

R. E. Lee 

' See G. O. No. 84, A. N. Va., August 16, 1863 (O. R., 
51, loc. cit.). Furloughs were to beat the rate of 2 for each 
100 men present for duty and were to range from 15 to 30 days 
according to the residence of the furloughed men. 

'See Jones to Lee, August 21, 1863, asking for "Wharton's 
command," also to Seddon, August 24, 1863, asking that he 



Rest ciiul Reorganization 125 

Official copy of Telegram received and respt. 
submitted to the President. 

J NO. WniiER.s 

Asst. Adjt. Genl. 

[Efiilorsi'iJ] 

Augt. 24 1863. 
Genl. R. !• . Lfe 
Orange < . 11. 



No. 67. 

30 Aug '63 
M' President 

I think Genl Sam Jones can move forward on 
that line — I will send to the Adjt. Genl to see if 
he has any dispatches & will come & see you this 
afternoon. ' 

Very respectfully 

R. E. Lee 

"order General Jenkins* and Colonel Wharton's brigades and 
my three field batteries back to me" (O. R., 29, 1, 41-42). 
Sec als<j Lcc to Stuart, August 24, 1863 {ibid., 2, 655). Jones 
was har 1 at the time. 

' No I. ;: , ,:idcncc IjcarinR on this letter appears in the 
Ofiicial Recordi. General Jones, commanding in Southwest 
Vir^nnia, had just met and repulsed Avercll's raid (rcixirts in 
O. R., 29, I, 44 IT.) and had received news that the Federal 
advance on KnoxWlle threatened Eastern Tennessee and 
Southwest Vir^:inia. It was probably r Jones' ad- 

vance to protect the frontier that this lei'.. . .. .vrillen. See 

Scddon to Jones, O. R., 29, 2, 681, August 31, 1863. 



126 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 68. 

Head Quarters A N Va. 

Sep 8th 1863. 
His Excellency Jefferson Davis 
President Confederate States 
M'^ President 

I beg leave to forward to you directly the inclosed 
papers for your consideration as I think speedy 
action on the case of much importance to the effi- 
ciency of the brigade in question. I leave it to your 
better judgement to suggest what is best to be done 
in the matter/ 

I am with great respect 

Yours very truly 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 69. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond Sept. 9 1863. 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 9. To His Ex. 
Jeffn. Davis 
Troops are on march Two divisions will reach 
Hanover Junction this morning. No trains yet."* 

R. E. Lee 
15/60 
[Endorsed] 
Sept. 9/63. 

Genl. R. E. Lee. 

" The papers referred to have not been found. Davis' 
reply not found. 

* Amplified in same to same, Sept. 9, 1863, 0. R., 29, 2, 706. 



Rest and Reorganization 127 

No. 70. 

Camp Orange Ct. Us. 2 Oct. '63. 
His Exc* Jeff" Davis 

Pros: of C. States — Richmond Va. 
M' President 

I know of no Georgia Brig' to take command of 
the Cav' organized by Genl Cobb except Genl Iver- 
son — I can spare him, but shall have to get a Briga- 
dier to command the Louisiana Brigade, formerly 
Nicholls, now temporarily commanded by Genl 
Iverson' — I presume Genl. Nicholls will never be 
able to take the field which I ver>' much regret* — 

These men were soldiers of LoriKstrcet's corps en route to join 
Braj»K. See Lonpstrcct's From Manassas, etc., chap. xxx. 
The transfxDrtation of these troops as directed by Brigadier- 
General A. R. Lawton, Quartermaster-General, was regarded 
as one of the most notable achievements of that office during 
the war. 

' Nicholls* brigade was composed of the 1st, 2nd, loth, 14th 
and 15th Louisiana rcj,nmcnts, Johnson's division, Ewcll's 
(2nd) corps. Alfred Iverson was a native of Georgia, a gradu- 
ate of the Tuskegee, Alabama, Military Institute and a 
in War. Later entering the regidar army 
crsice in the West. I'lxjn the outbreak 
of the war he volunteered and was sent to North Carolina, 

He ser\'cd in 

, ^ il. Nov. I, 1862. 

From 1863 to the end of the war he served in Georgia and 

ncn ' ' -;. He is 11 ■ "'ng Nicholls* brigade 

in t 1 A. N. Va., .. ! > 

• 0\*nng to the amputation of a foot, resulting from a wound 
at r. *' -,».... "1 in Ixiuisiana in 

18.U ivs c)f 1851. He 

hcl|x^ to organize the 8th Louisiana, was mxule lieutenant- 



128 Lee's Dispatches 

It is considered by all the officers that there is no 
one in the brigade among the higher officers qualified 
for the command.^ To take a person from out of 
the brigade unless his qualifications justify it is apt 
to produce discontent. As far as I can judge Col 
Stafford of the 9th La. Hays brigade is the most 
suitable person.'* Genl. Hays who ought to know 
his Cols : best I am told is very decided in his prefer- 
ence to him over Cols: Forno & Penn^ the others 
that have been recommended. Gen. Early also 
speaks highly of Col Stafford He has seen him in 
battle & commends his gallantry and good manage- 
ment. I believe too he is the Senior Col. from La. 
in this army & has commanded Hays brigade in 
battle^ — Col. Pcnn is considered the better drill 

colonel in July, 1861 , and became colonel of the 15th Louisiana 
on June 24, 1862. His commission as brigadier-general was 
of October 14, 1862. He never returned to active field duty 
with the Army of Northern Virginia after that time, but served 
as post-commandant at Lynchburg, Va., and later in the Trans- 
Mississippi department, (C. M. H., 10, La., 313. See the 
order for his assignment to Lynchburg in O. R., 29, 2, 642; 
A. and L G's. S. O. No. 190, par. 17, August 11, 1863). 

^ The colonels of these regiments were: ist, W. R. Shivers; 
2nd, J. M. Williams; loth, Eugene Waggaman; 14th, Z. York; 
15th, Edmund Pendleton, 

'' It is worthy of note that in choosing a brigadier-general 
for this brigade of Louisiana troops, Genl. Lee took care to 
follow the usual rule and to recommend a native of that state. 
Hays' brigade was composed of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th 
Louisiana regiments. 

s Colonel Henry Forno, 5th Louisiana; Colonel David B. 
Penn, 7th Louisiana. 

^ Leroy A. Stafford entered the service as lieutenant-colonel 



The Winter of 1863 64 129 

officer of the two & wliilo E well's corps was under 
command of Genl Hill, Gen Edw' Johnson, to whose 
division Nicholls brigade belongs applied for the 
appointment of Col Penn, but as it was not recom- 
mended by Genl Hill, & not being satisfied on the 
subject myself I refrained till now. It is herewith 
enclosed & also an unofficial note just rcc*^ from Genl. 
Ewcll.' 

I am with great respect your obt svt 

R. E. Lee. 

Genl. 



No. 71 

[Tele gram] 

By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 6 To His Excy. 

Jeffn. D.wis. 

The enemy is crossing at Morton's ford in large 
force of infantry. The country is so wooded it is 
difficult to ascertain his strength or intentions.' 
If Rodes is not wanted where he is I want him 



of the 9lh Louisiana, of which Richard Taylor, later 
licutcnant-Kcncral, was ojmmandcr. In accordance with 
this recommendation of General Lcc, StafTord was made 
briKadier-Kcncral, Oct. 8. 1863, (Cooper to Lee, 0. R., 
29. 2. 777). 

' Not found. 

'This was at the conclusion of the .so-callc<l "Mine 
Run" campaign, the rcjKjris of wh'uh appear in t). R.. .'•» i 
823 flF. 



130 Lee's Dispatches 

back." Please direct. Transportation must be 
provided. 

R. E. Lee 
44/352 
Vn. 
[Endorsed] 
Telegram 

Genl. R. E. Lee. 

Orange C. H. 6 Dec. 1863. 



No. 72. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond Dec. 7 1863. 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 7 To His Excy. 
Jeffn. Davis. 
Dispatch of sixth received. Can go if ordered. 

Have written by mail.' 

R. E. Lee 
11/44 Vb. 
[Endorsed] 
Telegram 

Genl R. E. Lee 
Orange C. H. Dec. 7 1863 

^ Major-General Robert E. Rodes, whose report of his 
operations at the time is printed in O. R., loc. cit., 876 ff. 

^ Davis' message of Dec. 6, 1863, not found, but manifestly 
along the Hne of his telegram of Dec. 6 which read: "Can you 
go to Dalton, as heretofore explained?" (O. R., 29, 2, 861). 
Lee, it will be recalled, had been in Richmond and had 
probably discussed with the President the advisability of his 
taking command of the Southern army. In his detailed reply 



The Winter ul 1863 64 131 

No. 73. 

H'Q*':2oJany'64. 
M^ President 

I heard some days since that several men of this 
army mostly Louisianians that were in or passed 
through Richmond, were j(3ining Genl Morgans 
Command. I wrote to the Secy, of War on the 
subject & requesttni it might be stopped. Since 
then I have rec** other evidences of the fact. A 
member of my staff informs me that Dr T. W. 
Hancock of Jackson Hospital Richmond stated to 
him yesterday, that a recniiting oflicer of Genl 
Morgan has visited his Hospital, promised the men 
clothing & two months furlough, & that 25 or 30 
convalescents whom he was about to send to this 
army, deserted & he understands were forwarded to 
Decatur Geo: Dr. Hancock also stated that he heard 

(loc. cit) Lcc wrote: "I can (ro to Dalton] if desired, but of 
the expediency of the measure you can judjje better than I can. 
Unless it is intended that I should take permanent command, 
I can sec no good that will result, even if in that event any 
could be accomplished. I also fear that I would not receive 
cofilial co-ojx^ration, and I think it necessary if I am >\'ith- 
(Ir.iwn fmm here that a commander for this army be sent to it. 
Cnrural Kwill's condition, I fear, is too feeble to undergo the 
f.^ti^'ue and labor incident to the position. I hope Your 
LxcoUcncy \^'ill not suppose that I am oflferinjj any obstacles 
to any mmsure you may think necessar>'. I only seek to ^vc 
you • -^tunity to form your opinion after a full considera- 

*'■•" •• ..v-t, I have not that confidence either in my 

y as would lead me of my own option to 
.'• the command in question." It is !o add 

\.i..i. ...^ letter ended the question. Lee rem.i; .- i v.i»erehe 
was. 



132 Lee's Dispatches 

from 200 to 250 men in other Hospitals had been 
ordered away. I am sure that Genl Morgan would 
neither countenance or authorize such proceedings, 
but I know how unscrupulous many men are in rais- 
ing companies. You will see if this conduct is al- 
lowed, that all discipline is destroyed & our armies 
will be ruined.^ 

I have therefore to request that all these men be 
returned to this army, & that the officers, who have 
been engaged in this illicit conduct be punished. 
I have the honour to be 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
His Excy. Jeff''. Davis 
Pres. Confed. States. 

^ The grievance of which General Lee here complains was a 
very serious one to the armies of the South. The exploits 
of General John H. Morgan, Colonel John S. Mosby and other 
so-called partisan leaders were very alluring to the men in the 
ranks. Not only did Mosby and his men, for instance, win 
great renown and meet with rare adventures but they had 
substantial advantages denied the soldiers with the regular 
armies, — good food, occasional plunder, booty and a bed to 
sleep in. Any young man of adventurous spirit counted 
himself lucky to find a place with Mosby 's renowned rangers. 
A statement of the case from the standpoint of a regular officer 
is to be found in Thos. L. Rosser's letter to General Lee, 
Jany. 11, 1864, O. R., 33, 1081. In this letter Rosser wrote: 
"It is almost impossible for me to manage the dijfferent com- 
panies of my brigade that are from Loudoun, Fauquier, Fairfax, 
etc., the region occupied by Mosby, They see these men 
living at their ease and enjoying the comforts of home, allowed 
to possess all that they capture, and their duties mere pastime 



Tlic W'iiilcr o( 1863 64 133 

No. 74. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram in cypher. 
Received at Richmond, Feby. 3, 1864. 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H., Feby. 3, 1864. 
To 

The President 

Do you wish troops sent to Richmond.' 

R. E. Lee 

Oenl. 

pleasures comjiared with their own arduous ones; and it is a 
natural consequence in the nature of man that he should be 
dissatisfied under these conditions, . . . This is melancholy, 
but it is nevertheless true and it can only be, in my opinion, 
remetiied by placing all men on the same footing who are of 
the same rank. If it is necessary for troops to of)eratc vinthin 
the lines of the enemy, then require the commanding officer 
to keep them in an organized condition, to rendezvous them 
within our lines and to move iiiH)n the enemy when opp)ortunity 
is offered." This letter, for^varded by Genl. Stuart bears 
that officer's commendation of Mosby but contains this added 
sentence: "Such organizations (i.*"., partisan rangersl as a rule 
arc detrimental to the best interests of the army at large." 
General Lee wrote on the same paper: "As far as my knowl- 
edge and experience extends, there is much of truth in 
the statement of General Rosscr. I recommend that the 
law 1 corps Ix; al)olished. The evils 

rcsu...... .. .. ., • ••-it.ion more than counterbalance 

the pood they accomplish." Accordingly the Confederate 
< ; passed a law abolishing partisan rangers, the 

t... . V. ; which measure was to place Mosby's men, Morgan's 
command and other parti.san corps in the regular service. 
Sec also Lee to Coof>er, Apr. i. 1864 O. R.. i. 33, 1^52. 

' No answer or related corresixindencc. S<'veral cavalry 
raids against Richmond were threatened during the winter. 



134 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 

Telegram from 
Genl. R. E. Lee 
Orange C. H. Feby. 3/64. 
Movements of troops. 
Reed Feby. 4th. 64 



No. 75. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, Va., Feby. 6 1864. 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 6 

To Genl. S. Cooper 

On the 30th. ulto. Genl. Rosser captured a train 
of ninety three (93) wagons loaded with Commissary 
stores & forage on way from New Creek to Peters- 
burg, three hundred (300) miles, twenty prisoners. 
The Guard of eight hundred (800) Infantry escaped 
to the mountains. Our loss twenty five (25) killed & 
wounded. Information of the advance upon Peters- 
burg having been received the Garrison evacuated it 
during the night. On the 2d. Rosser destroyed the 
bridge over Patterson Creek & North Branch of 
Potomac & Canal, and captured forty prisoners. Two 
hundred and seventy prisoners, fifty wagons and 
teams twelve hundred (1200) cattle & five hundred 
(500) sheep have been brought off. Genl. Rosser 

one of which, under Dahlgren, caused some apprehension for 
the time. That raid, however, was in March. 



rhc Winter ot 1863 64 135 

has shown great energy and skill, and his command 
deserves great credit.' R. E. Lee 

Official copy of telegram received 
and respy submitted to the President. 

Jno Withers, 



[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 
Tel. to A. & L G. 
Orange C. IL Feby. 6/64. 
Captures by Genl. Rosser's 
Brigade in N. Va. 
Reed. Feby. 6/64. 



Asst. Adjt. Genl. 



' General Thomas L. Rosser's report of his expedition into 
Hampshire and Hardy counties, West Virj^nia, will be found 
in O. R., a, 45 ff. For this expedition Rossor received much 
praise. In his usual commendatory style, J. E. B. Stuart wrote 
that it "furnishes additional proofs of General Rosser's merit 
as a commander, and adtls fresh laurels to that veteran brigade 
so si^alized for valor already." General Lee added to 
Rosser's report: "^" - ' " - --d himself with 

RTeat credit in this i i native Virginian 

who was in the Military Academy when the war began. At 
once volunteering, he v - misy^ioned H- ' * in the 

regular army of the G' . and won ; 1 by his 

skill as an artilleryman in destroying General McClellan's 
obscr\'ation-baHoon during the Peninsula cr After 

the Seven Days* Fight he was promoted c- the 5th 

Virginia Cavalry, and in 1863 was made brigadier-general, 
assi — ' '■■• the command of the famous Laurel P ' ! 

wa with this command at the time of tl ; 

He was made major-general in November, 1864. A dashing 

off.' ' ■ - nally most valorous he was one of *' 

ma ::i the army and was of the tyjH; : » 

the heart ot cavalrymen. 



136 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 76. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond Feby. 7 1864. 
By Telegraph from Orange C. H. 7 To His Ex. 
Jeffn. Davis 
As far as could be ascertained at five A. M. this 
morning the Enemy had retired to the north side of 
the Rapidan at Morton's Ford.' R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
26/208 

V 
[Endorsed] 
Telegram 
Genl. R. E.Lee 
Orange C. H. Feby. 7 1864. 

No. 77. 

Respy. returned — Commander Wood who had 
the hardest part to perform did his part well — Hoke 
seems to have done all he could, & it was not expected 
that Bearing could do more than to occupy Fort 
Bannington. But Genl Barton seems to have 
altogether failed, which I hope can be satisfactorily 
explained. It was competent for Genl Pickett to 
have charged the mode of attack if circumstances 
prompted it." R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

' On February 6, 1863, General Meade began a demonstra- 
tion against General Lee's left, held by Ewell, at Morton's 
Ford. He was met promptly and was driven back without 
serious loss. The reports arc in O. R., 33, 141 ff. 

' Evidently the endorsement of a report of the New Bern, 



The Winter of 1863-64 137 

No. 78. 

[Telegram] 

Richmond, Va., March 4th. 1864. 
Orange C. H. March 3d. 1864. 
To Gonl. S. Cooper, A. & I. General 

Genl Pendleton will be ordered to report to vnn 
for the duty indicated in your telegram. • 

(signed) R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
Respy. submitted to Genl. Bragg.* 

John W. Riely 

Capt. A. A. G. 

N. C, expedition of Fob. i, 1864. The full details are given 
in the rc(K)rls of dcnls. W. H. C. Whiting:. J. G. Martin, G. E. 
Pickett. R. F. II..koand S. M. Barton. C. S. A., O. R.. i:^, 82 fl. 
General S. M. Barton was rather severely criticised by the 
other officer A in this movement for ' ' ' re effec- 

tively to co- 10 which failure tlioy ati: iie non- 

success of the venture. A court of inquiry was ordereil at 
the ' 1 of General Lee and at thr ' of General 

Bar 'Ugh its report docs not ;._ scc O. R., 

ioc. cU., 100, 1 187). General Barton was later relieved of 
( i by General Ransom for failun itc in a 

nt on May 10. 1864. A court w.^ red but 

was later countermanded. General Barton remained in the 

i in's 

report, etc., sec U. R. 36, 2, 213 ff. For Barton, sec C. M. H.. 
3. 579 ff) 

• E\'idently Brigadier-General W. N. Pendleton, Chief of 
Artillery', A. N. Va. Related correspondence not found. 

•This is " '-.•-• • •• /.^.r 

General Br.i . ;. as 

special mihtary adviser to the lYcsidcnt. In one sense, 



138 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 
Orange C. H. 
3d March 1864. 
R. B. No. 31 
R. E. Lee 
General 
Concerning Genl. Pendelton. 
Reed. Hd. Qrs. A. C. S. 

4 March 64. 

No. 79. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, Va., March 5th 1864. 

By Telegraph from Orange C. H. March 5th. 
To General S. Cooper, 

A. & L General. 

The following troops have reinlisted for the war 
since my announcement of 19th. Feby. most of them 
before the law retaining all men in the service was 

General Bragg occupied the position which General Lee had 
held early in 1862, — a position of great possibilities but of an 
anomalous character. As the President was himself titular 
constitutional head of the army, the officer to whom he dele- 
gated the immediate supervision of military affairs could not 
directly serve as commander-in-chief and was at once subordi- 
nate to the President and not superior to officers of equal rank 
in the field. Bragg's appointment seems not to have affected 
General Lee in the sHghtest. Correspondence from the com- 
mander of the Army of Northern Virginia was addressed, 
as in the past, to the President or to the War Department 
and only on rare occasions to General Bragg himself. Most of 
the letters and dispatches to General Lee came as they had 



The Winter of 1863 64 139 

made known. Phillip's Legion Cavalry, Carrington's 
Batten*, Garlx^rs' Battery*, JtfT. Davis' Legion, ist. 
South Carolina Cavalry, 44th. Virginia Infantr}*, 
Louisiana Battery, Carpenter's Battery, ist. North 
Carolina Regiment, 13th. Virginia Infantry, 58th. 
Virginia Infantry, 12th. Virginia Cavalry, StafTord's 
Brigade, 2d. North CaroHna Cavalry, loth. Virginia 
Infantry. ' 

(signed) R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

Official copy of telegram received March 6th. 1864 

and respectfully submitted to Genl. B. Bragg 

John \V. Riely 

Capt. & A. A. G. 
[Endorsed] 

Orange C. H. 

5th. March 1864. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 



Announcing reinlistments. 
R. B. 41 
Reed. 7th. March 64. 



before General BraRjj's appointment. Relations between Lee 
an<l Rra^:^' seem to have remained entirely pleasant and were 
marked with uniform courtesy and deference until the end. 
It is to be note<J that General Lee's dispatches to the War 
Department, ctijiies of which had formerly l>een sent to the 
President, were now forwarded General Braj^fj and by him, it 
would api)ear, turned over to Mr. Da\-is. This, however, was 
not uniformly the case. 

• During' Januar>* and February, 1864. a general effort was 
made in the armies of the Confederacy to procure the re- 



140 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 80. 

H° Q^^ Army N Va. 
25th March 1864. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis, 

Presd^ Confd. States 
Richmond Va. 
Mr. President, 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the 
letter forwarded to me by your directions, containing 

enlistment of all men whose terms were expiring. Many had 
already enlisted for the war, — indeed many entered the service 
with no definite term of enlistment, — but the military situation 
demanded that the strength of the armies be kept at the 
maximum. Congress about this time passed an act authoriz- 
ing the commanders indefinitely to hold men whose terms had 
expired or would shortly expire, but as General Lee here points 
out, many commands re-enlisted before the provisions of this 
law were known. Other reports on the same subject are prin- 
ted in O. R., 33, 1 152, 1 173, 1 190, etc. The troops mentioned 
in this communication were assigned as follows: Phillips' 
cavalry legion belonged to Young's brigade, Wade Hampton's 
division; Carrington's (Charlottesville) battery to Cutshaw's 
battalion, 2nd corps ; Garber's (Staunton) battery to the same 
command; the Jeff Davis legion to Hampton's division of the 
cavalry (Stuart's) corps; the ist S. C. Cavalry was taken from 
Lee's army in March and sent to reinforce General Beaure- 
gard. Its commander was Colonel Black. The 44th Virginia 
infantry belonged to Jones' brigade, Johnson's division, 2nd 
corps; the "Louisiana" battery was either Moody's, ist corps, 
or Landry's, 3rd corps, sometimes called respectively the 
" Madison" and the Donaldson ville batteries. The Washington 
artillery may possibly be meant. Carpenter's (Alleghany) 
battery was of Braxton's (Brown's) battalion, 2nd corps; the 
1st N. C. Infantry, Col. H. A. Brown, belonged to G. H. 



Preparing to Meet Grant 141 

the views of the writer as to the intentions of the 
enemy in the approaching campaign.' 

I have read the speculations of the Northern 
papers on the subject, and the order of Gen Grant 
pubHshed in our papers yesterday, but I am not 
disposed to beUeve from what I now know, that the 
first important effort will be directed against Rich- 
mond. The Northern papers, particularly if they 
derive their information from official sources, as 
they profess, do not in all probability represent the 
real purpose of the Federal Govt, but are used to 
create false impressions. The order of Gen. Grant, 
closely considered, is not inconsistent with this idea. 
There was no apparent occasion for the pubHcation 
at such a time and place of his intention to take up 
his H'' Q' with the army of the Potomac, and the 
announcement appears to me to be made with some 
hidden purpose. It will be remembered that north- 
em papers of the 14th inst: represented Gen. Grant 
as en route for Tennessee to arrange aflairs there 
preparatory to assuming immediate command of the 

Stcuarl" , Johnson's (li\'ision. Swell's (2nd) corp>s: the 

13th Vi:v.. ..- .ufantry Col. J. B. Tcrnll, was of Pc^n^m's 
brigade. Early's diNnsion, Ewcll's corps; the 58th Virginia 
Infantr>' was of the same brigade; the ijlh Virginia Cavalry 
was attached to Rosscr's brigade of Stuart's cavalry corps; 
Stafford's brigade (L. A. Stafford) was composed of the 1st, 2nd, 
loth, 14th, and 15th Louisiana regiments and was a part of 
Johnson's di\'ision, E well's corps; the 2nd X. C. Cavalry 
belonged to Gordon's brigade, W. H. F. Lee's dinsion, Stuart's 
h Virginia Infantry was of G. H.Stcuart's 

..,^.. .- . J iivision, Ewcll's corps. 

' Not found. 



142 Lee's Dispatches 

army of the Potomac. What those arrangements 
were, we do not know, but if of sufficient moment to 
require Gen Grant's personal presence in the West 
just on the eve of his entering upon active duties 
with another army, it can not be probable that he 
had completed them by the time his order bears 
date, March 17th, especially, as several of the few 
days intervening between his departure from Wash- 
ington and the publication of the order, must have 
been consumed in travelling. The establishment 
of an office in Washington to which communications 
from other armies than that which Gen. Grant 
accompanies shall be addressed, evidently leaves 
everything to go under the direction of the former au- 
thorities as before, and allows no room for inferences 
as to whether any army will be active or not, merely 
from the fact of the presence of Gen. Grant. There 
is to my mind an appearance of design about the 
order which makes it of a piece with the publications 
in the papers, intended to mislead us as to the en- 
emy's intention, and if possible, induce corresponding 
preparation on our part. You will remember that 
a like ruse was practised at Vicksburg. Just before 
the Federal Army went down the river, the indica- 
tions given out were such, that it was thought the 
attempt on Vicksburg would be abandoned, and that 
it was proper to reinforce Gen. Bragg, whose army 
it was supposed would next be attacked. It is 
natural that the enemy should try to conceal the 
point which he intends to assail first, as he may 
suppose that our armies, being connected by shorter 
lines than his, can concentrate more rapidly. In 



Preparing to Meet Grant 143 

confirmation of these views, I cannot Icam that the 
army of (icn. Meade has been reinforced by any 
organized troops, nor can I learn of any coming east 
over the B & O Rail Road which I have ordered to be 
closely watched. A dispatch from Gen. Imboden 
dated March 23rd states that it is reported that the 
enemy was moving troops westwards over that road 
all last week. The report is vague but if true, the 
troops referred to may be recruits, convalescents & 
furloughed men going to the corps from the east now 
serving in the West, or they may be reinforcements 
for the army of Tennessee. I have reiterated my 
order about watching the road, and directed the 
rumor above mentioned to be carefully investigated. 
From present indications, I am inclined to believe 
that the first efforts of the enemy will be directed 
against Gen Johnston or Gen Longstreet, most prob- 
ably the former. If it succeed, Richmond will no 
doubt be attacked. The condition of the weather 
and the roads will probably be more favorable for 
active operations at an early day in the south than 
in Va. where it will be uncertain for more than a 
month. Although we cannot do more than weigh 
probabilities, they are useful in stimulating and 
dincting a vigilant observation of the enemy, and 
suggesting such a policy on our part as may determine 
his. His object can be ascertained with the greatest 
certainty by observing the movements of his armies 
cln>rly. I would advise that we make the best 
preparations in our power to meet an advance in 
any quarter, but be careful not to suffer ourselves 
to be misled by feigned movements into strengthen- 



144 Lee's Dispatches 

ing one point at the expense of others, equally ex- 
posed and equally important. We should hold 
ourselves in constant readiness to concentrate as 
rapidly as possible wherever it may be necessary, 
but do nothing without reasonably certain informa- 
tion except prepare. This information I have already 
said, can be best obtained by unremitting vigilance 
in observing those armies that will most probably 
be active in the campaign, and I trust that your 
Excellency will impress this fact, and the importance 
of energy accuracy and intelligence in collecting 
information upon all officers in a position to do so. 
Should a movement be made against Richmond in 
large force, its preparation will no doubt be indicated 
by the withdrawal of troops from other quarters, 
particularly the Atlantic Coast and West. The 
officers command^ in these regions should endeavor 
to get early and accurate information of such with- 
drawal. Should Gen. Johnston or Gen Longstreet 
find the forces opposed to them reduced sufficiently 
to justify attacking them, they might entirely frus- 
trate the enemy's plans by defeating him. Energy 
and activity on our part, with a constant readiness 
to seize any opportunity to strike a blow, will em- 
barrass, if not entirely thwart the enemy in concen- 
trating his different armies, and compel him to 
conform his movements to our own. If Gen. John- 
ston could be put in a condition to operate success- 
fully against the army opposed to him, he would 
effectually prevent a combination against Richmond. 
In the meantime, to guard against any contingency, 
everything not immediately required should be sent 



Preparing to Meet Grant 145 

away from Richmond, and stores of food and other 
suppHes collected in suitable and safe places for the 
use of the troops that it may become necessary to 
assemble for its defence. I beg to repeat that the 
utmost vigilance and circumspection, coupled with 
active and energetic preparation are of the first 
moment to us."^ 

With high respect, 

Your obt. servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

^ General Lee was for the time mistaken. Following his 
appointment as commander of the armies of the United States 
on March lo, 1864, General Grant had come East and on the 
24th apparently began operations at Culpeper Court-House 
(O. R., 33, 721). General Lee, however, speedily divined 
the real purpose of the enemy, for on March 30 (ibid., p. 1244), 
he wrote President Davis that he expected Grant to make a 
forward movement in Virginia. He said: "Since my former 
letter [probably the one here printed] on the subject the indi- 
cations that operations in Virginia will be vigorously prose- 
cuted by the enemy are stronger than they then were. General 
Grant has returned from the army in the West. He is at 
present with the Army of the Potomac, which is being reor- 
ganized and recruited. From the reports of our scouts the 
impression prevails in that army that he will operate it in 
the coming campaign. Every train brings it recruits, and it 
is stated that every available regiment at the North is added 
to it. It is also reported that General Burnside is organizing 
a large army at Annapolis, and it seems probable that addi- 
tional troops are being sent to the valley. It is also stated 
that preparations are making to rebuild the railroad from 
Harper's Ferry to Winchester, which would indicate a reoccu- 
pation of the latter place. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road is very closely guarded along its whole extent. No 



146 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 81. 

H2 Q«^: Army N Va. 6 Apl. '64. 
M^ President 

I very much regret that you should be required to 
investigate complaints from members of this army. 
The one from Col: O'Neal 26*^ Alab^— has been 
presented to me several times, & I think this is not 
the first occasion on which it has been brought to 
your attention. I have stated that I was aware of 
no injustice having been done Col: O'Neal that the 
recommendations for a commander to Rodes former 
brigade was made from military considerations, & 
that the action of the Dept. had conformed to my 
recommendations. I feel aggrieved at this repeated 
charge of injustice, & but that we are upon the eve 
of a campaign in which the presence & services of 
every one will be required, I should ask for a court 

ingress or egress from their lines is permitted to citizens, as 
heretofore, and everything shows secrecy and preparation. 
Their plans are not sufficiently developed to discover them, 
but I think we can assume that if General Grant is to direct 
operations on this frontier he will concentrate a large force on 
one or more lines, and prudence dictates that we should make 
such preparations as are in our power. If an aggressive 
movement can be made in the West it will disconcert their 
plans and oblige them to conform to ours. But if it cannot, 
Longstreet should be held in readiness to be thrown rapidly 
in the valley, if necessary, to counteract any movement in 
that quarter, in accomplishing which I could unite with him, 
or he unite with me, should circumstances require it, on the 
Rapidan. The time is also near at hand when I shall require 
all the troops belonging to this army. I have delayed calling 
for General Hoke, who, besides his own brigade, has two regi- 



rrcpciriii;^^ to Meet Cirant 147 

of Inquiry into the matter. Should you think one 
can be instituted at this time without injun', I 
request it l)e onlered. Unless I have been entirely 
mistakt-n I think the facts will be found different 
from what Col O'Neal has supposed & have been 
stated. I Concur with the Honb'' M' Phelan in 
the belief that Col: O'Neal is a most tnie brave & 
gallant olTicer. Still I believed that Cols: Gordon, 
Morgan & Battle gave promise of making better 
Brigade Commanders, & therefore recommended 
them before him. The regt: of Col: O'Neal by 
orders from the A & I Gen'' office 12 Feby. '64 has 
been transferretl from this army to that of Gen 
Polks, I am unable to compare his qualifications 
with those of the officers of the Alab* regts: mentioned 
by M' Phelan, & therefore cannot say whether he 
is the best commander that can be selected for 



mcnts of another of this army, under the expectation that the 
ol)jcct of his visit to North Carolina may yet be accomplished. 
I have heard nothing on the subject recently, and if our papers 
arc correct in their information, the enemy has thrown re- 
« into that Slate, and the N'cuse is barricaded 

;:. . . '.%• Berne. There is another brigade of this army. 

General R. D. Johnston's, at Hanover Junction. I should 
! '.* to get them both back." The details 

I . i.jch led up to the campaign of 1R64 in 

Virginia arc given in notes to Dispatch 92. It is significant, 
? of note here that General Ix^ at this 

t-;.. ...,. ;..;)aign urge<l the removal from Richmond 

of *'cvcr>'thing not immediately required" and intimated 
that • <• i)f Richmond was in .'^' -i-c 

at Icu.. . .. ...^.... .. "I'-vt-ments again^' ''•" ' '" 

the South. 



148 Lee's Dispatches 

a brigade composed of those regts: If he is I 
should feel gratified at his promotion. I enclose 
copies of papers showing my action in reference to 
matters referred to in Col: O'Neals Complaint. 
I also return the papers transmitted by your 
Excy. ' 

I have the honour to be with great respect 

Your most obt. servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



^ Enclosures and related papers not found. For previous 
correspondence regarding Colonel O'Neal, see supra, No, 49. 
As is pointed out in the note to that dispatch, Colonel O'Neal 
is said to have been commissioned brigadier-general but was 
not assigned to brigade command. He appears to have been 
discontented and to have wished to remove his regiment, the 
26th Alabama, from the Army of Northern Virginia. On Jany. 
31, 1864, General Lee wrote to T. J. Foster and others in 
reply to a resolution forwarded by them, in which the transfer 
of the 26th Alabama to the army in its native State was re- 
quested. General Lee explained the situation of his army at 
some length and with admirable courtesy but declined to trans- 
fer the regiment "imless one equally good is sent beforehand 
to take its place" (O. R., 33, 1133-34). O'Neal's regiment 
was sent to Georgia after this dispatch was written but was 
returned to Lee's army when Grant moved against the James 
River line. The case seems to be one of the large number 
in which political influence was brought to bear for the 
promotion of ambitious officers. Lee stood firmly against 
this at all times and never recommended an officer for pro- 
motion who had no other claims. When O'Neal's commis- 
sion reached General Lee, it was returned by the latter in 
a formal withdrawal of his recommendation. See No. 124, 
infra. 



Prcparinv; to Meet Grant 149 

No. 82. 

Hd Qrs. Dept X. Va. 

April 7th '64. 
To His Excellency 
Jefferson Davis 
President of the 

Confederate States. 
Sir, 

I would beg to call your Excellency's attention to 
the following cases, in which sentences of death have 
been passed and in which I, having suspi'ndeci the 
extent ion of the s<.MUences, have fons'arded the pro- 
ceedings with the recommendation that the sentences 
be remitted. 

I would ask an early consicicration of the cases in 
as much as in case the recommendations are con- 
curred in, I am desirous of having the men returned 
to the army in time to take part in the approaching 
campaign. 

Private James F. Ilancycutt Co. A. 4th X. C. 
Regt, reconunended on account of his extreme youth. 

Private James Arnold Co. D. 50th Va. Regt. 
recommended on account of his previous charac- 
ter as a soldier, the cheerful discharge of his duty 
and gallantr>', and of the circumstances developed 
on his trial. 

Privates Da\'id Ramey, I. \V. Ramey and S. H. 
Bothel of Co. K. and J. W. H. Ramey of G. all of 
the 1 2th S. C. Regiment in consideration of their 
former character as soldiers for gallant r\' and the 
faithful discharge of their duties — And in Private 



150 Lee's Dispatches 

David Rameys case, further in consideration of his 
refusing to listen to the persuasions of his Uncle and 
quitting the party of deserters and returning to his 
duty, his extreme youth and the unanimous recom- 
mendation of the court. 

Private Cyrus Dnmi Co. G. 38th N. C. Regt in 
consideration of the patriotic conduct of his wife, 
who declaring her reluctance to see him as a deserter, 
induced him to surrender himself the day after he 
reached his home. 

Private Edmund M. Berry Co. H. 22nd N. C. 
Regt, In consideration of his character as an atten- 
tive, obedient and good soldier; his long service and 
his gallantry at Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Gaines 
Mill, Frasiers Farm Malvern Hill and other battles. 

Private S. C. Allred Co L. 22nd N. C. Regt, In 
consideration of his conspicuous gallantry, his general 
good conduct his voluntary surrender of himself, 
and the unanimous recommendation of the Court. 

Private Peter Treffenstedt Co E 38th N C Regt. 
In consideration of his extreme youth, his good 
character as a soldier, his voluntary return to duty 
and the unanimous recommendation of the Court. ' 
I am with great respect 
Your obt. servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

^ These were cases of deserters who had either returned to 
the army or had been caught and tried. What to do with 
them and how to show them mercy without damaging dis- 
cipline was always a problem. In 1863 and again in 1864, 
President Davis declared an amnesty, under the terms of 



IVcpariii}; ti) Meet (irant 151 

No. 83. 

[Tele ^r am] 

Hd Qrs. Army of Northern Va. 

7th April 1864. 
Special Orders No V 

So much of the sentences in the following cases as 
remains unexecuteMj are remitted, To wit in the case of 

1. Private B. F. Coflfman Co "G" 52 Va Regt 
on account of his youth and the mitigating circum- 
stances developed on the trial 

2. Private D. C. Courtney Co "C" 9th Va Cavy 
on account of the mitigating circumstances developed 
on the trial, and the unanimous recommendation of 
the Court 

3. Private Thomas Y. Ward Co "H" 44— N. C. 
Regt on account of the mitigating circumstances 
developed on the trial 

4. Private G. G. Fulcher Co "F"— 47 Va Regt 
on account of his previous good character as a soldier, 
and the unanimous recommendations of his com- 
manding officers 

5. Private Albert Osbom Co "A" 22 Ga Regt on 
account of the resistance he offered to his elder 

which soldiers who had dcMTtcd could return to their regi- 
ments without trial or punishment. These acts of leniency 
had no ^ood effect. Occasionally, and especially during 
' ary to execute such offenders when 

«^ .... .....; vial. In dealing with them, General 

Lcc was personally disposed to mercy but had often to advo- 
cate severity in the interests of good order. For a general 
view of Lee's \news on the subject, sec his Dispatch of April 
13. 1864, infra. No. 84. 



152 Lee's Dispatches 

brother's persuasions to desert and the practical 
repentance he exhibited after yielding — inducing 
the party deserting to return to their duty before 
reaching their homes 



Graham'' s Battery 

N. C. Troops 

In consideration of 
their previous ex- 
cellent character 
and the gallantry 
they have dis- 
played in action 



6. Pvts. Wm Bracket 

Robt Bracket 
Joseph Queen 
Marada Queen 
Henry Buff 
James T. Pool 
Alex Pool 
John Janeey 
David W. White ^ 

7. Private John Fisher Co "C" 2— N. C. Regt, on 
account of his gallantry at the battle of Chancellors- 
ville, his steadfast devotion to the cause and his 
youthfulness 

8. Private W. H. Dorton Co "E" 48 Va Regt, 
on account of the mitigating circumstances of the 
case and his previous excellent character as a soldier 

9. Private James Dwyer Co "K" 49 Va — Regt, 
on account of the mitigating circumstances in his 
case proved subsequent at his trial 

10. Pz;/5. Wm. F. Robinson ) Co "K" 

Jno. W. Robinson t 63— N. C. T. 

On account of their 
previous excellent 
character as sol- 
diers and the miti- 
gating circum- 
stances developed 
on their trial 



Preparing to Meet Grant 153 

11. Private W. IT. P. Jones Troop Artillery, on 
account of the mitigating circumstances developed 
in his case 

12. Pvts. GeoM.Gunn |Co"G" 

Geo W. Phillips 31 Va Inf 
Danl J. Sutton ) On account of their 
previous characters 
as soldiers, and of the 
high degree of prob- 
ability which exists 
that they were mis- 
led by officers, to 
whom it was natural 
for them to look to 
for guidance 

13. Private C. B. Pryor Co"K" 53— N. C. Regt 
on account of his previous character as a soldier and 
the facts developed subsequently to his trial 

14. Private Marion Budges, Rives' Battery on 
account of his youth and the circumstances in his 
case tending to mislead one of his inexperience 

15. Pvts. J. M. Stricklinl ^?i^^^ 

Joseph Price li^;^^- 

On account of events 

which have occurred 

since their trial 

The foregoing will Ix" returned under guard to 

their respective commands and then restored to 

duty. • 

' No record of these cases appears in the Official Records. 
The men were probably deserters or, as General Lee's last 



154 Lee's Dispatches 

In retiirning to their duty, the Genl Comdg, hopes 
that the above named will avail themselves of the 
approaching campaign to redeem themselves from 
the stigma of cowardice, desertion etc. now attached 
to them and will by their future conduct win for 
themselves not only forgetfulness of their past 
crimes but also a reputation of which their children 
and country may be proud. (End) By comd. Genl 
RE Lee 

W. H. Taylor, A. A. G. 



No. 84. 

H° Q^^ Army N. Va. 

13th April 1864. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis, 
Presdt. Confed. States, 
Richmond, 
Mr. President, 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the 
letter of Col Lee written by your directions, with 
reference to the case of Privt Jacob Shomore Co. 
B. 52nd Va. Regt. and requesting my views as to 
the policy of extending clemency to other offenders 
now in confinement, or undergoing pimishment. ' 
With regard to prvt. Shomore, my endorsement ex- 
pressed the opinion I had formed from reading the 
application for pardon, and the endorsements of 

paragraph would indicate, had in some instances been tried 
by miHtary court for cowardice. 
' Not found. 



Preparing to Meet (.r.inl 155 

Gens. Ewcll & Early. I had not seen, nor have I 
yet read the record of the case, it being one of these 
tried by Gen Ewell's MiHtary court before the late 
law requiring these proceedings to be reviewed by 
me. My views arc based upon those considerations 
of policy which experience has satisfied me to be 
sound, and which are adverse to leniency, except 
in cases showing some reason for mitigation. The 
fact that prvt. Shomore had been a good soldier 
previous to his desertion, is insisted upon, as it fre- 
quently has been in like cases, as a ground of miti- 
gation, and were he alone concerned, I would be 
disposed to give weight to it. But I am satisfied 
that it would be impolitic and unjust to the rest of 
the army to allow previous good conduct alone to 
atone for an ofTence most pernicious to the sen'ice, 
and most dangerous as an example. In this con- 
nection, I will lay before your Excellency some facts 
that will assist you in forming your judgment, and 
at the same time, present the opinions I have formed 
on the subject of punishment in the army. In re- 
viewing Court Martial cases, it has been my habit 
to give the accused the benefit of all extenuating 
circumstances that could be allowed to operate in 
their favor without injur>' to the service. In addi- 
tion to those parties whose sentences I have remitted 
altogether or in part, or whom, when capitally con- 
victed, I have recommended to pardon or commuta- 
tion of punishment, I have kept a list during the 
past winter of certain ofi"enders, whose cases while 
they could not Ix* allowe<l to go unpunished alto- 
gether, without injury to the service, had some ex- 



156 Lee's Dispatches 

tenuating features connected with them. I confirmed 
the sentences, and all of them have undergone a 
part of their punishment, but recently I remitted 
the remainder in the order of which I enclose a copy. "" 

Beyond this, I do not think it prudent to go, 
unless some reason be presented which will enable 
me to be lenient without creating a bad precedent, 
and encouraging others to become offenders. I have 
arrived at this conclusion from experience. It is 
certain that a relaxation of the sternness of discipline 
as a mere act of indulgence, unsupported by good 
reasons, is followed by an increase of the number of 
offenders. The escape of one criminal encourages 
others to hope for like impunity, and that encourage- 
ment can be given as well by a repetition of a general 
act of amnesty or pardon, as by frequent exercise 
of clemency towards individuals. If the convicted 
offenders alone were concerned, there would be no 
objection to giving them another trial, as we should 
be no worse off if they again deserted than before. 
But the effect of the example is the chief thing to be 
considered, and that it is injurious, I have no doubt. 
Many more men would be lost to the service if a 
pardon be extended in a large number of cases, than 
would be restored to it by the immediate effects of 
that action. 

The military executions that took place to such 
an extent last auttmin, had a very beneficial influence, 
but in my judgment, many of them would have been 
avoided had the infliction of punishment in such 
cases uniformly followed the commission of the 

* Doubtless the order printed supra, No. 83. 



Preparing to Meet Grant 157 

offence. But the failure of courts to convict or 
st'ntcnce to dcatli, llie cases in which pardon or com- 
mutation of punishment had been granted upon my 
reconuncndation, and the instances in which the 
same indulgence was extended by your Excellency 
upon grounds made known to you by others, had 
somewliat relaxed discipline in this respect, and the 
consequences became inmiediately apparent in the 
increased number of desertions. I think that a 
return to the current policy would inevitably be 
attended with like results. DescTtion and absence 
without leave are nearly the only offences ever tried 
by our Courts. They appear to be almost the only 
vices in the army. Notwithstanding the executions 
that have recently taken place, I fear that the num- 
ber of those who have escaped punishment in some 
one of the ways above mentioned has had a bad effect 
already. The returns for the month of March show 
5474 men absent without leave, and 322 desertions 
during the month. There have been 62 desertions 
within the present month specially reported, but 
the whole numlx'r I fear considerably exceeds that 
some of the large number absent without leave, are 
probably sick men who have failed to report, and 
some of the deserters are probabl}' absent without 
leave, but the numlx^r is sufficiently great to show 
the necessity of adhering to the only policy that will 
restrain the evil, and which I am sure will be found 
to be truly merciful in the end.^ Desertions and 

* The al 'f field returns printed in ' 

Records do : , rally indicate the nuniUT al 
leave, and group under the caption "total number absent'* 



158 Lee's Dispatches 

absence without leave not only weaken the army by 
the number of offenders not reclaimed, but by the 
guards that must be kept over those who are arrested. 
I think therefore that it would not be expedient to 
pardon & return to duty any of those now under 
sentence, or release those under charges, except for 
good cause shown. 

I have the honour to be 

With great respect 
Your obt. servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
No. 85. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Richmond April 15, 1864. 
By telegraph from Orange C. H. 15 
To Gen Braxton Bragg 
Dispatch reed.' I think it probably the advance 

all the wounded, the sick, the furloughed, etc., as well as 
those technically or actually deserters. Yet the figures bear 
out General Lee's statement of the difficulties he encountered 
in keeping the army together as an effective fighting machine. 
On February 10, 1864 (O. R., 33, 1157), the aggregate present 
were 39,551 ; the absent from all causes, 28,870; on February 
20 {ibid., 1 191), aggregate present 47,871, absent, 37,609; 
on March 10 (ibid., 1216), aggregate present, 46,141, absent, 
32,949; on March 20 {ibid., 1234), aggregate present, 55,090, 
absent, 43,482; on April 10 {ibid., 1271), — the return nearest 
the date of this letter, — aggregate present, 61,206, absent, 
36,358. The "aggregate present and absent," the theoretical 
total strength of the army, ranged during this period from 
68,421 to 98,572. 
' Not found. 



IVcparini^ to Meet drant 150 

if made will bo Nortli ui James River the oliicr icini 
ascertain troops arriving at Charlottsville. No 
movement on this Point yet scouts Report i ith and 
1 2th Corps consolidated. Gone to Annapolis* 

R. E. Lee 
41 410 

X c 
[Endorsed] 
Orange C. H. 15 April. 64. 
II R.E.Lee 

Genl 
Regards enemy's probable advance 
directions and etc. 
R. B. 26 
Reed 16 Apl-64 

* Cf. Lcc to Davi.s, April 15, 1864, O. R., 33, 1282. Just 
at this time the Confederate commanders were doubtful of the 
enemy's intentions. News had reached General Lcc from 
Colonel John S. Mosby and others, as indicated in this dis- 
patch, that a large force had gathered at Annapolis under 
General Bumsidc. In addition, it was known that under 
General Meade on the Rappahannock was a largo and rapidly- 
increasing army. Besides, from the neighborhood of Suffolk 
came reports that the force there was being augmented by 
fresh regiments. All this raised the question as to whether 
the main advance of the enemy would be made from the north, 
as in 1863, or up the peninsula, as in 1862. General Lee's 
own idea was that the advance would Ix: from the north of 
the James, and to meet this he urged the War Department to 
gather all available troops from nearby States. He wrote 
(loc. cit.) :" ... I think it certain that the enemy is organiz- 
ing a large army on the Rappahannock, and another at 
Annapolis, and that the former is intended to move directly on 
Richmond, while the latter is intended to take it in flank ur 



i6o Lee's Dispatches 

No. 86. 

Orange Co: 19 Apl. '64. 
M^ President 

I have read the letter of Lt. Col H. D. Capers 

rear. I think we may also reasonably suppose that the Federal 
troops that have so long besieged Charleston will, with a por- 
tion of their iron-clad steamers, be transferred to the James 
River. ... I have thought, therefore, that General Johns- 
ton might draw something from Mobile during the summer to 
strengthen his hands, and that General Beauregard with a 
portion of his troops might move into North Carolina to 
oppose General Burnside should he resume his old position 
in that State, or be ready to advance to the James River 
should that route be taken. . . . We shall have to glean 
troops from every quarter to oppose the apparent combination 
of the enemy. If Richmond could be held secure against the 
attack from the east, I would propose that I draw Longstreet 
to me and move right against the enemy on the Rappahannock. 
Should God give us a crowning victory there, all their plans 
would be dissipated, and their troops now collecting on the 
waters of the Chesapeake would be recalled to the defence of 
Washington. But to make this move I must have provisions 
and forage. I am not yet able to call to me the cavalry or 
artillery. If I am obliged to retire from this line, either by 
a flank movement of the enemy or the want of supplies, great 
injury will befall us. . . . Should you determine it is better to 
divide this army and faU back toward Richmond I am ready 
to do so. I, however, see no better plan for the defence of 
Richmond than that I have proposed." The reference to 
"troops arriving at Charlottesville" is to the men of Long- 
street's corps who were returning to the Army of Northern 
Virginia from their campaign in Tennessee. Longstreet him- 
self wrote Lee from Charlottesville in a letter which the editors 
of the Official Records think was of April i6, 1864. For 
General Lee's next view of Grant's plans, see Lee to Davis, 
April 18, 1864, O. R., loc. ciL, 1290. 



Preparing to Meet Grant i6i 

which you did mc the honour to transmit to mc. • 
Tlic object of the writer is no doubt praiseworthy, 
but I do not think it would be well to attempt at 
this time the reestablishment of the Society of the 
Cincinnati. I think it important to unite as closely 
as possible the interests of the army with the interests 
of the citizens. They are one in reality Sc all for 
the Country. It would revive I fear the ancient 
opposition to the order give rise to misconstruction, 
& furnish themes to the discontented dissatisfied & 
captious — We want harmony, sympathy & coopera- 
tion of all our people. You may recollect before 
the design of the Cincinnati was to maintain & 
perpetuate social feelings & relations, & how it was 
misrepresented. I believe too greatly by the south- 
ern states & the politicians of the Jederson School.' 
We have now but one thing to do; to establish our 
independence. We have no time for anything else, 
& nothing of doubtful bearing on this subject should 
be risked — I have the honour to return to your 
Excy. the letter of Col: Capers. 

With great respect your obt. servt. 

R. E. Lee. 

His Excy. Jeff^ Davis. 

• Not found. 

* General Loc was historically accurate in stating the opposi- 
tion of ih' ' ^ ' to the Society of the Cincin- 
nati. Jet ; it as a danger to a democratic 
country and expressed himself several times in a most out- 
fit ' '.<•. j;.. in his letter to Washington, April 1 6. 17S4 
C ''m^xx Jeff rr son's nVi/iwiji. 4, 215 fT ). A ftirUur 
expression of Jefferson's views regarding the society is to be 



i62 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 87. 

H° QRs A N Va. 
22nd April 1864. 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 

Presdt. C. States Richmond, 
Mr. President, 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the 
letter of certain citizens of Winchester to the Secre- 
tary of War referred to me by your Excellency. ' 

I have given general instructions to our officers 
not to molest private citizens who do not take an 
active part against us, and was under the impression 
that those for whose arrest that of Messrs. Conrad 
& Williams was made, were officers of the pretended 
govt, of Va.^ I think it necessary and proper to 

found in his answer to questions addressed to him by M. de 
Meusnier, etc. (ibid., 17, 80 ff.)- Jefferson also notes General 
Washington's fear that the society might become dangerous, 
and relates Washington's efforts to have it abolished. See 
his notes on the fifth volume of Marshall's Life of Washing- 
ton {lac. cit., 17, 401 ff.). 

* Not found. 

^ Probably Robert Y. Conrad and P. Williams, both of 
Winchester. Conrad was a distinguished Virginian, a former 
judge and a leader in the Secession Convention of 1861. Wil- 
liams was a member of the town council. This appears to be 
an echo of an incident which occurred during January, 1864. 
On January 10, one William Dooly was arrested in Win- 
chester by Confederate partisans and carried off, on the 
ground that he was a Federal sympathizer and spy. On 
the i6th., Col. R. S. Rodgers, U. S. A., commanding in the 
vicinity, sent to the mayor of Winchester from Martinsburg 
to demand the return of Dooly, on pain of holding the mayor 



Preparing to Meet drant 163 

capture all civil officers of the Federal or pretended 
Slate Govt., as it is my object to break up the latter 
l)y preventing the exercise of its functions.^ This 
policy may & doubtless will lead to retaliation on the 
part of the enemy who will naturally do all in their 
power to maintain the govt set up under their pro- 
tection, but this we cannot avoid. I shall repeat 

responsible for his removal. In reply to the protest of Dr. 
W. M. Fuller, mayor of Winchester, that Dooly was in the 
United States ser\'ice and as such liable to capture, Colonel 
RiH liters wrote a denial and renewed his threat to arrest as 
hostajjes "the most worthy and influential citizens." On 
January 24. this threat was carried out and Rev. A. H. H. 
Hoyd was arrested in Winchester. — the only able-bodied man 
of prominence who could be found. The comment of Colonel 
Rntli^'ers incidentally throws liK'ht on the fact that the whole 
ni.ilc {x)pulaiic)n was v\nth the army, for in excusing himself for 
arresting only one citizen, he \sTites "most of the other citi- 
zens of any prominence were either unfortunately absent 
from (home) or in such a delicate state of health that they 
were permitted to remain." Mr. Conrad and probably Mr. 

^' ' — re later arrested. Upon their protest, Colonel 

:^<xl to release them if they could prove, as they 
promised to do, that Dooly had in his possession a pass 

t' -^ the Federal lines. The result of the incident docs 

ir from the published correspondence («kv O. R., ;^;^, 
393. 400, 401, 409. 1 1 70, 1 171). 

'The "pretended State government" was. i. is scarcely 
necessary to say, the hybrid Picrixint government, so-called, 
formed in counties of Western Virginia in sympathy with the 
North, T' • • vemmcnt assumed the name and dignity of 
tho Conv iih of Virginia and was recognized by the 

■d States as such. Its scat, after the organization in 

'• * ^' Iria. Uix)n the evacuation of Rich- 

. were moved there. 



1 64 Lee's Dispatches 

my instructions on this subject to Gen Imboden & 
Gen Stuart, & endeavor to put a stop to interference 
with citizens except under the conditions above 
mentioned. I retvirn the letter to the Secretary. 
Very respy Your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 88. 

[Telegram] 

Reed at Richmond Va., Apl. 22,, 1864 
By telegraph from Orange 0. H. 

To Genl S. Cooper. 

A & I. Genl 
Dispatch received.' It is impossible for me to 
spare Genl Ed. Johnson at this time." 

(signed) R. E. Lee 

General 

' Not found. 

^ For what purpose is not plain. Cf. Lee to Davis, April 
28, 1864 (O. R., 33, 1320-21): "I regret I cannot spare Gen- 
eral E. Johnson at this time; expecting to go into battle any- 
day, it would be very hazardous to assign a new commander 
to his division. There is no one in it whom I could recom- 
mend for the position. I could spare Early better at this 
time than Johnson, because I might get Gordon or Hoke of 
that division in his place." He adds complimentary refer- 
ences to Johnson's ability and worth. Johnson's division was 
composed of the Stonewall (Walker's), Jones', Steuart's and 
Stafford's brigades, Swell's corps. For Johnson's biography, 
see C. M. H., 3, 611. He was captured at the Bloody Angle, 
May 4, 1864, and was not exchanged until November. 



rrciKiring to Meet Cirant 105 

Official copy of Telegram received . . . and re- 
spectfully submitted to Genl B. Bra^K 

John \V. Riely, 
A. A. G 
[Endorsed] 

Oranj^e C. H. 2^ April, 64. 
R. E. Lee 

(icneral 
Can't Sparc Genl Johnson. 

RB345 
Reed 24 Apl 64 

No. S9. 

[l^'le^ram] 

Telegram in cypher. 

Orange C. H. April 24/64 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 
Should the enemy remain quiet this week and the 
weather good, will it be convenient for you to vi.sit 
this army. ' 

(signed) R. E. Lke 

Genl 
[Endorsed] 

Genl R E Lee 
Orange C. H. 

April 24 1864 
Telegram in cypher 

• Davis replied on the 26th that he could not come, Cf. 
No. 90.. in/ra. Sec also, Lcc to Davis, April 28, 1864 (O. R., 



i66 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 90. 

JJD.QRS. 25 Apl. '64. 

M'' President 

The advance of the Army of the Potomac seems 
to be delayed for some reason. It appears to be 
prepared for movement but is probably waiting for 
its cooperative columns. The signal officer on 
Clarke's Mt: reported in the forenoon of yesterday 
that a brigade of Cav^, with a few ambulances was 
moving on the Germana ford road. ' Gen Fitz Lee 
who has two brigades of Cav^ in the vicinity of 
Fred^ was notified to attend them, Chambliss' 
brigade was moved down the plank road to within 
four miles of the Wilderness tavern,^ & Genl R. 
Johnston at the Junction placed on his guard. ^ At 
night the picket at Germana reported the enemy at 
Elys ford, but did not know in what force. This 

33, 1320-21). General Lee probably wished to have a con- 
ference with President Davis regarding the general plan of 
campaign before it opened. This was his custom. 

* These were the preliminaries for the second Wilderness or 
Spottsylvania campaign, set by General Grant to begin May 
2, 1864. At the time of this letter, orders for the advance had 
been issued and the delay here mentioned was for reinforce- 
ments, better organization and the cooking of rations. For 
a brief description of these and preceding movements, see note 
to No. 92, infra. 

' Brigadier-General John R. Chambliss, Jr., whose brigade 
(9th, loth and 13th Va. Cavalry) was attached to W. H. F. 
Lee's division. 

3 Brigadier-General Robert D. Johnston, commanding 
5th, 1 2th, 20th and 23rd N. C. Infantry, Rodes' division, 
Ewell's (2nd) corps. 



Spotsylvania 167 

mor* I learn that they had not crossed, but were at 
the river. Their object is not yet discovered. Tlie 
delay of the enemy I hope will give us grass sufTicient 
to get our troops together.^ The Cav'' is halted 
near Fred* for the benefit of grazing on the river 
lands. I have brought the Arf nearer the front. 

I telegraphed to your Excy yesterday to know 
whether if the enemy remained quiet 8: the weather 
favourable this week, it would be convenient for you 
to visit the Army. It would be very gratifying to 
the troops & I hope pleasing to your Excy.* 
With great respect 

Your obt ser\'t. 

R. E. Li.K 



Genl. 



His Excy Jeff"^ Davis 
Pres: C. States. 



No. 91. 

[Tcle^raw] 

Reed at Richmond Apl 30, 1864 at 3 o'clock 

45 minutes, 
By telegraph from Orange C. H. 3 

To His Excy Jefferson Davis 
Rurnside's forces with Artiller>' Wagons Ambu- 
lances &C passed through Centerville 28th inst. 

* Lack of forage, it must be remembered, forced General 
Lt' ' ' '. artillery and cavalry, when possible, at a 
di :m. 

* Sec supra. No. 89 and note. 



i68 Lee's Dispatches 

Its advance reached Manassas that evening the 
regular Regiments from Boston, New York and other 
points announced having reached Washington on 
their way to the front I again recommend troops 
be advanced towards the Rappahannock and those 
belonging to this army be returned to it ' 

RE Lee 

59590 
[Endorsed] 

Genl R E Lee 
Orange C H 

April 30, 1864 
Burnsides forces passed through Centerville on 
the 28th inst and etc 

' Cf. Lee to Davis, April 30, 1864, O. R., 33, 1331. He 
said: "... Everything indicates a concerted attack on this 
front which renders me the more anxious to get back the 
troops belonging to this army, and causes me to suggest, if 
possible, that others be moved from points at the south where 
they can be spared, to Richmond. There will no doubt be 
a strong demonstration made north and south of the James 
River, which Beauregard will be able successfully to resist. 
I judge, also, from present indications, that Averell and Sigel 
will move against the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad or 
Staunton, to resist which Generals Breckenridge and Imboden 
should act in concert." It is significant that before the begin- 
ning of this movement, which brought the centre of hostilities 
from the Rapidan to the James, General Lee anticipated 
practically the full plans of the enemy. Acting on this tele- 
gram, General Bragg in Richmond suggested to General Cooper 
orders for the prompt re-enforcement of the army and for the 
removal to the Richmond line of available troops. These 
orders were at once carried out : Johnson's brigades from Bristol 
and Hagood's from Wilmington were ordered to Richmond, 



Spotsylvania 169 

No. 92. 

H"Q" New Verdiersville 

4th May 1864. 
Mr. President, 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter of the 2nd inst:' You will already have 

Wise's brigade was recalled from South Carolina and Beaure- 
garil wa-s instructed to send Huko forward unless the latter 
intcmlcd at once to attack New Ylcrm- (sec O. R., he. <i/., 
13^9-30). 

' Davis' dispatch ol May 2 not luund. As this corresjxjnd- 
cncc marks the formal oinrninj,' of the Sfxjttsylvania campaisn, 
which led to the movement to James River and the investment 
of Petersburg, — all of them treated at Icnj^'th and from new 
angles in this corres|)ondence. — a brief review of events from 
the battle of Gettysburg to this date seems necessary. Fol- 
lowing the failure of tlie offensive movement at Gettysburg 
on July 3. General Ixv awaited an attack as he had after the 
battle of Sharpsburg, and then moved slowly back across the 
mo ' ' '• • • ■• irk into Virginia. 

Hi :e, was severely 

criticised by President Lincoln for permitting this vsnthdrawal 
but probably realized that l' ' . much shattered 

by the hard fighting at Ge 1 active pursuit. 

In any event, Lcc crossed into Virginia again and resumed his 
old • •• • • '- nnock, announc- 

ing- he did not pro- 

pose to move beyond that line again. General Meade moved 
for.' ' ' wly and made ' >ns of another advance 

agi But when his 1 met Lee's army in fn^nt 

of Culpcper Court-House on July 24, Meade drew back. The 
8o-calleil "<! •• »• ,. . ' ,h came at this time, 

put a stop :1 the middle of Sip- 

tcmber, there was no engagement of consequence in Northern 



170 Lee's Dispatches 

learned that the army of Gen Meade is in motion, 
and is crossing the Rapidan on our right, whether 
with the intention of attacking, or moving towards 
Fredericksburg, I am not able to say. But it is 

Virginia. But on September 13, Meade began a reconnaissance 
toward Orange Court-House, withdrew again and showed no 
signs of further activity. On October 9, General Lee took the 
offensive, — whether for a feint or for a general engagement is 
doubtful, — and crossed the Rapidan which, he had announced, 
he expected to keep as his main line. The sharp engagement 
at Bristoe station on October 14, 1863, between Meade's 
rear-guard and Lee's van under A. P. Hill, was sufficient to 
make both commanders wary. After a successful movement 
on November 7, that resulted in the capture of 1,600 Con- 
federates, Meade overcame his timidity once more, crossed the 
river on November 26 and began a flanking movement de- 
signed to turn Lee's right. Vigilance on the part of Stuart 
and the prompt advance of Ewell's corps gave Lee time to 
draw up his lines and to bring up his artillery. After vainly 
feeling Lee's position at several points, Meade withdrew and 
abandoned further action for the winter, except for a futile 
movement on February 6. By this time, preparations for the 
spring campaign were already underway in the north. Gen- 
eral U. S. Grant, who had been most successful in the west, 
was given the rank of lieutenant-general, under the terms of 
an act approved February 29, 1864, and assumed general 
control of the field operations. He at once saw that crushing 
numbers were necessary to defeat Lee and as soon as he could 
do so, he consolidated all his forces into two great armies, — 
one under General W. T. Sherman, to move through Ala- 
bama and Georgia, the other under himself to move on Rich- 
mond. He foresaw that the success of these two movements 
and their ultimate consolidation would crush out opposition 
in the South and end the war. To co-operate with his main 
army in Virginia, he drew in troops from the Carolinas and 
prepared for an advance on Richmond from the east, to be 



Spotsylvania 171 

apparent that the long tlircatcnetl cflort to take 
Kichinontl has begun, and that the enemy has col- 
lected all his available force to accomplish it. The 
column on the Peninsula if not already moving, will 

dirtrlctl by General Benjamin F. Butler, the tyrant of New 
C)rle«ins and the most cordially hated man in the armies fijjht- 
ini: • • •* ^' :*h. The command in the V;illey of Virginia, 
un«; 1, was also strenj^thened and was expected 

to move forward with the ultimate object of striking Rich- 
mond from the west, while Butler came from the <- ♦ -• ! 
Grant from the north. To oppose an army that a^; 
at least 116,000 men, Lee could reckon u|X)n not more than 
65,000. General Lee (sec No. 80, supra) had not been con- 
vincctl by movements prior to March 30, that Grant would 
move directly on Richmond. He IxMieved that the first 
general advance would l)e in Geor^na and that not until that 
had been successful would there \)C another movement on 
Richmond. His j^eneral plan was to be ready for any con- 
tingency but not to combine the scattered Confederate armies 
too quickly. Richmond should be prepared for an attack 
and made ready in every way {X)!*siblc. But until careful 
obser\'ation disclosetl the plans of the Federals, a policy of 
preparation and waiting should be pursued. On March 30, 
however. General Lee became satisfied that the reinforcement 
of the army in his front meant that "operations in Virginia" 
would be "vigorously prosecuted by the enemy" and that, 
in all probability, Grant would "concentrate a large force on 
one or more lines." He thought that an "aggressive move- 
ment" in the west might disconcert the Federal plans but 
that, unless this could be done, Longslrcct should be "held 
in readiness to be thrown rapidly in the Valley" where he 
could meet an attack or could rejoin the main army. The 
activity of Butler's forces in Eastern Virginia bore out General 
Lo*-' '■''♦' that Grant would have more than one line, but 
it ' me discussion as to whether the chief assault on 

Richmond would be from the east or the ni^rth. General 



172 Lee's Dispatches 

doubtless now cooperate with Gen. Meade, and we 
may assume, is as strong as the enemy can make it. 
Under these circumstances I regret that there is to 
be any further delay in concentrating our own 

Lee remained firm in his belief that Grant would lead the 
main assault from the Rappahannock (see No. 85 and note 
thereto) but urged that Beauregard be drawn north with 
such forces as he could gather to meet the advance from 
Eastern Virginia. He thought for the time that this might 
enable him to strike a decisive blow, with the help of Long- 
street's troops, against Grant and force the enemy back on 
their Washington defences. By April 25, Grant's movement 
confirmed him in this opinion and by April 30, he foresaw the 
Federal plans precisely as they had been worked out by General 
Grant. His counter-movement was to strengthen his army 
to resist the main assault, to draw in Beauregard for the de- 
fence of Richmond and to employ the few troops the Con- 
federacy had in Western Virginia to meet the movement up 
the valley. On May 2, from a point of observation on Clarke's 
mountain, Lee studied the location of the Federals, announced 
with accuracy by what routes they would move and told his 
corps commanders to make preparations accordingly. In 
this dispatch. General Lee makes the appeal which is the 
dominant note of all his correspondence during the entire 
campaign that followed — he must have more troops. He 
makes no excuses, raises no questions and expresses no doubts, 
— but he must have more troops. The rich material in the 
De Renne correspondence, on the great "left flank" move- 
ment can only be appreciated when studied in close relation 
to the published sources. General Lee himself appears to have 
filed no full report and was so busy with the direction of his 
army that his correspondence, as printed in the Official Rec- 
ords, is more fragmentary at this time than during any period 
of the war. Of the published formal reports, the itinerary of 
Anderson's corps and those of Generals W. N. Pendleton and 
R. S. Ewell are most valuable for precise details. 



Spotsylvania 173 

troops.* I fully appreciate the advantages of captur- 
ing; New Berne, but they will not compensate us for a 
disaster in Va. or Georgia. Success in resisting the 
chief armies of the enemy will enable us more easily 
to recover the country now occupied by him, if 
indeeil he do not vcjluntarily relinquish it. We are 
inferior in numlx?rs, and as I have before stated to 
your Excellency the absence of the troops belong- 
ing to this Army weakens it more than by the mere 
number of men. Unless the force that it will be 
necessary to leave in North Carolina is able to re- 
duce New Benie,^ I would recommend that the 
attempt be postponed, and the troops in N. C. be- 
longing to this army be at once returned to it, and 
that Gen Beaureganl with all the force available for 
the purpose, be brought without delay to Richmond. 
Your opportunities of deciding this question are su- 
perior to my own, my advice being based upon such 
lights as I possess. It seems to me that the great 
efforts of the enemy here and in Georgia have l>e- 
gun, and that the necessity of our concentration at 
both points is immediate and imperative. I submit 
my views with great deference to the better judg- 
ment of your Excellency, and am satisfied that you 
will do what the best interests of the countr>' require. 
The army was put in motion to-day, and our 

* ' ' * Ik" rcn.' ' !. had l)ccn 

se\>. • lluTn \ ; lud was just 

rejoining. Other scattered commands had not yet been 
reca" ' • 'fe. 

' was opemtinf; with a port of his 

division detached from Lcc's army. 



174 Lee's Dispatches 

advance already occupies our former position on 
Mine Run. The enemy's cavahy is reported ad- 
vancing both towards Fredericksburg and in this 
direction, evidently with the intention of ascertain- 
ing the disposition of our forces. 

With great respect 

^ Your obt servt. 



His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Presdt. C. States 
Richmond. 



R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



No. 93. 

jjDQRs ;^E^R Spottsylvania C. H. 

9th May 1864. 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 

Presdt C. States 
Mr. President, 

I was much gratified to learn that the enemy had 
retired from the Richmond and Petersburg road and 
that our communications were again open. The 
subject had occasioned me great uneasiness.^ 

* The movement to which reference is here made was one 
that threatened for a time the safety of the Confederate 
capital and the communications to the south. Advancing up 
the Peninsula and up the James, Gen. Benj. F. Butler had 
moved against the Richmond and Petersburg railroad and 
had sent out a cavalry expedition under General Kautz to 
destroy the Richmond and Danville railroad, while another 
column struck the railroad south of Petersburg. Much 
damage was done and many miles of track were torn up. It 



Spotsylvania 175 

I think that the best way to operate against the 
force on James River is to attack its communica- 
tions, if it cannot be driven off by main force. I 
do not know what can be effected with our gunboats, 
but am satisfied that some light artillery and sharp- 
shooters operating from the side of the river in our 
possession, can make the enemy very uneasy about 
his transportation. The night attack on Gen M*^- 
Clellan's transports at Harrison's Landing, is re- 
presented by him to have caused him embarrassment 
while his army lay there. His transports were taken 
down to the broad part of the river and brought 
up to be unloaded by night. In the narrow part of 
the stream where the enemy's shipping now lies, 
one or more batteries of light artiller}\ and some 
picked sharpshooters, could do a great deal of dam- 
age. They could also operate below on vessels as- 
cending the river. Sharpshooters could be effectively 
used at night as the enemy would be obliged to use 
lights in loading and unloading his vessels. I believe 
that an active and vigilant officer with a good com- 
mand could alarm the enemy very much for the 
safety of his communications, and might cause him 
to withdraw.* I thought it probable that the force 

was not until General Beauregard arrived from the South 
with material re-enforccments that the lines could be retaken. 
At the date of this letter, the enemy still held a prcat part of 
tho railroad. The reports of this movement, including Butler's 
declaration that he could hold the railroad against the 
Will. I. Mi Lot's army, will be found in O. R., 36, 2, lo fl.,196 fT. 
•The limitations of the Confe<leratc forces prevented the 
carr>'ing out of these plans, though the batteries along the 



176 Lee's Dispatches 

of the enemy south of James River was much ex- 
aggerated. I could not see from what source he 
could obtain the large army he was represented to 
have, as I believe he nearly exhausted his resources 
in the case to fill up the Army of the Potomac. 

We have succeeded so far in keeping on the front 
flank of that army, and impeding its progress, with- 
out a general engagement, which I will not bring on 
unless a favorable opportunity offers, or as a last 
resort. Every attack made upon us has been re- 
pelled and considerable damage done to the enemy. 
With the blessing of God, I trust we shall be able to 
prevent Gen. Grant from reaching Richmond, and 
I think this army could render no more effectual 
service. Some of the prisoners who seem disheart- 
ened, say that since the movement began, assurances 
were given that the army of Gen Grant would be 
reinforced by forty thousand men from the West. 
They may have only given this out to encourage 
the men, but it has occurred to me that if the enemy 
should not deem his progress satisfactory, he might 
draw troops from the West. I trust that Gen. 
Johnston will watch carefully for such a movement.^ 

James River and the Confederate warships, until their destruc- 
tion, seriously interfered with the movements of Butler and 
later of Grant. 

3 General Joseph E. Johnston, at this time commanding the 
army in Tennessee and Alabama, soon to face Sherman in the 
desperate advance on Atlanta. The engagements to which 
General Lee here refers as "keeping on the front flank" of 
Grant's army "and impeding its progress, without a general 
engagement" included the desperate fighting of May 5 and 



SpotsyKania 177 

We could not successfully resist a larger force than 
that to which we are opposed, and it is of the first 
moment that wc should have timely information of 
any increase. I submit these suggestions with great 
deference to your Excellency, and am confident that 
nothing in your power will be omitted that can 
promote our success. 

With great respect your obt s<^'r\'t. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 94. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram Cypher 

Hd. Qrs. A. N. V. 14 
\'ia Guineas May 14 [1864] 
To Presdt. Dams 

Supplies can be sent by Petersburg or Danville to 

6. The Fed«^ls had crossed the Rapidan on the night of 
May 3-4 at Ely's and Germanna Fords and had entered the 
Wilderness from which, just a year lx?forc, Hoc^kcr had been 
driven. In this tangled woodland I.,cc met Grant on May 5 
and attain on May 6, throwing him back with heavy losses 
and rcforminR his own lines without difficulty in the face of 
severe odds. On May 9, General Grant starlet! for Spottsyl- 
vania Court-Housc, in the hope of turning Lee's right but 
found the Confederate behind hastily -constructed but almost 
imprejn^able works. On May 12, when Grant assaulted Ix-e's 
position, he captured Johnson's division at the Bloody Angle 
but could not dishxlge the army. A week later he moved 
forward again on his left flank — to find Lee once more behind 
entrenchments. 



178 Lee's Dispatches 

Lynchburg and thence by the Orange and Alex. 
Roads. ^ We have three days supply and if more can 
be had I trust all will go well. I earnestly urge that 
all cavalry and infantry that can be spared be imme- 
diately drawn from S. C. to defend Richmond and 
communications^ & that the Reserves & militia be 
at once called out for the purpose of guarding bridges 
& roads to this army. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

by C. Marshall 



A. D. C. 



[Endorsed] 

Copy Telegram. 
R. E. Lee 
14 May 64. 
Hd. Qrs. 



^ The usual route for supplies from the south would, of 
course, have been via the Petersburg and Weldon railway to 
Petersburg and thence to the capital via the Richmond and 
Petersburg. From Richmond they could have been sent via 
the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac direct to Guinea 
Station. But Butler's movements had made this impos- 
sible and, indeed, had torn up a part of the Petersburg and 
Weldon as far south as Stony Creek. The only way open to 
the army was a very circuitous one. Sent to Danville, suppHes 
would have to go to Burkeville (via Richmond and Danville) 
to Lynchburg {via the Southside) to Gordonsville (via Orange 
and Alexandria) to Doswell (via Virginia Central) to Guinea's 
{via R. F. & P.). From Petersburg, since the road to Rich- 
mond was closed, supplies would have to go to Lynchburg 
{via the Southside) and thence as above. 

^ Orders to this effect had already been issued and troops 
from South Carolina had reached Petersburg. 



Spotsylvania i7y 

No. 95. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond May 14 1864. 
By Telegraph from Spottsylvania C. II. 12 

Via Gordonsville 12 
To His Excellency Prest. Davis. 

In Butler's ofikial report to Grant May 5th he 
states that he has the Eighteenth and Tenth (10) 
Anny Corps [which] have arrived in his Dept.' These 
Corps, came from North & South Carolina Georgia 
and Florida & constitute most of the Federal Troops 
in these States. Cannot we now draw more troops 
from these Depts.' 



R. E. Lee 



54 Collect 840 
DB. 



[Endorsed] 

Telegram. R. E. Lee 
12 May 64. 



• Sec B. F. Butler to U. S. Grant, May 5. 1864, O. R., 36, 
2. 430. 

* Another ■ tf General Ix-e's insistence that his army 
must be stn ;..,.. ..^U from the south if it were successfully 
to meet Grant. 



i8o Lee's Dispatches 

No. 96. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, Va., May 15th. 1864. 
From Head Quarters Spottsylvania C. H. 14th. 
Via Guineas Station 15th. 

His Excellency 

President Davis 

Breckenridge is calling for reinforcements to defend 
valley.' If withdrawn there will be no opposition 
to Siegel.^ 

Genl. Grant is reopening route by Aquia creek 
and receiving reinforcements and supplies. 

Signed R. E. Lee 

[Endorsed] 

Copy Telegram. 
R. E. Lee 
14 May 1864. 

Spotts. C. Ho. 



* Probably in reply to Cooper's letter of May 13, 1864 
(O. R., I, 36, 2, 998) notifying General Lee that he had or- 
dered Breckinridge, unless Lee directed otherwise, to send a 
brigade to Lynchbtirg to co-operate with General McCausland 
in defence of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad. 

^ Franz Sigel, operating in the Valley. One of his columns, 
under Crook, moved into southwest Virginia, destroyed some 
supplies and temporarily interrupted communication with 
Tennessee. Sigel's main force was driven back by troops less 
than half as numerous and began a retreat. 



Spotsylvania i8i 

No. 97. 

[Telegram] 

10 

Received at Richmond May 15 1864 at 11 O'Clock 
45 Minutes. 

By Telcj^raph from Spottsylvania C. H 15 

Via Guineas Station 15 

To His E.x. Prest. Davis. 

Yesterday afternoon the enemy assaulted a portion 
of Wilcox's line & was hands<jnK'ly repulsed. Ma- 
hones' and Lanes' Brigades attacked his left & cap- 
tured about three hundred prisoners & four stands 
of colors during the forenoon of to-day. There has 
been light skirmishing along the lines. The enemy 
seems to be shifting his position to our right. 
Another attack was made this afternoon on his 
left by Wright's* & Harrison's* Brigades resulting 



' Bri^jaditT-GfTitTal William Mahone, co: ' ' 'h, 

I2th, l6th, 41st and 6ist Va. regiments, A n, 

Hill's (3rd) cxnps. 

* Bri>,'adicr-Gcncral James H. Lano, romm.iTi :r.^- liio 7ih, 
l8th, 28th, 33nl and 37lh N. C. regiments, Wilcox's division, 
Hill's (3rd) corps. 

* BriKadier-Gcncr.1l .\mhrosc R. Wrij^iit, commanriiiii: the 
3rd. 22nd. 48ih Ga. regiments and 2nd Gcor^na battalion, 
Anderson's diHsion, as above. 

* P ' *' Harris, — N. H., who holonKC<l also to .Ander- 
son's 1 and commanded a bri^jade composed of the 
I2th. I6th, 19th and 48th Miss. rc];nm<^ts. 



1 82 Lee's Dispatches 

in the captiire of some prisoners & a stand of 

colors.^ 

R. E. Lee 
84 Col 840 

Ka 
[Endorsed] 

Telegram. 
Genl. R. E. Lee 
Spottsylvania C. H. May 15 64. 

No. 98. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richd. May 18 1864 at 3 O'Clock 

45 A.M. minutes. 
By Telegraph from Spottsylvania C. H. 17 to Gen. 
Braxton Bragg. 

Via Guineas i8th. 
Telegram received. ' I request that Gen. McLaws 
be not ordered to this army, but assigned to duty 
elsewhere.^ 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
20 Coll 200. 

^ These brushes are not mentioned in the published reports 
of the officers concerned. They were part of General Grant's 
preHminaries to the attempted turning-movement of May 19, 
following the unsuccessful but costly efforts of May 12. 

* Not found. 

' This was Major-General Lafayette McLaws, a native of 
Georgia and long a division commander of Longstreet's 
corps. (For biography, see C. M. H., 6, 431 ff.) He had 



Spotsylvania 183 

[Endorsed] 

Spottsylvania C. H. May 17 C^^. 
Gen. R. E. Lee 
Requests that McLaws be not sent to him, but 
assigned to some duty elsewhere. 
R. B. 769. 
Reed. May 18 1864. 

No. 99. 

Head Qurs A. N. Va. 

1 8th May 1864. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 

President Confcd. States. 
Mr. President 

The position of affairs has undergone no material 
change since my telegram to the Secretary of War 
last night. The federal army occupies the Valley 
of the Ny extending across the road from Spottsyl- 
vania C. H. to Fredericksburg. His position is 
strongly entrenched, and we cannot attack it with 
any prospect of success without great loss of men 

gone to Tennessee \snth Longstrect and had some difficulties 
u-ith his (ximmandcr which resulted in his removal from his 
command and in court-martial. LonKStrcct's version of the 
affair is to be found in his From .\fanass(is. etc. (ed. 1896), 
500 ff., 518. 548, etc. General Br 1 McLaws* 

return to his command (O. R.,36, 2,93.,, ... ...... ;>. and '^ r 

issued the order the next day. At the time of thus : 
McLaws was in command at Burkcville but wa.s later ^*•nt 
to Georgia. No reason has been assigned for General Iax's 
^nsh not to have him with the army. His probable rea.son 
was deference to Longstrect. 



184 Lee's Dispatches 

which I wish to avoid if possible. The enemy's 
artillery is superior in weight of metal and range to 
our own," and my object has been, to engage him 
when in motion and under circumstances that will 
not cause us to suffer from this disadvantage. I 
think by this means he has suffered considerably in 
the several past combats, and that his progress has 
thus far been arrested. I shall continue to strike 
him whenever opportunity presents itself, but nothing 
at present indicates any purpose on his part to ad- 
vance.'' Neither the strength of our army nor the 
condition of our animals will admit, of any extensive 
movement with a view to draw the enemy from his 
position. 

I think he is now waiting for reinforcements. 
Scouts report that the 22d corps, composed of in- 
valids, or as they are now termed, veteran reserves, 
has already arrived, and also the Irish Battalion 
organized at Washington. The garrisons that have 
been in the fortifications around the latter place, 
Baltimore, and in other localities at the north, in- 
cluding some regiments of heavy artillery armed as 
infantry, have also arrived. 

Other reports represent that General Grant has 

^ The most accurate estimates are that Grant began this 
campaign with 274 guns, Lee with 224. The difference of 
50 guns was by no means all, however, as Grant's ordnance 
was superior to that of Lee in range and in ammunition. Lee 
was only able to hold his own through the admirable service 
of his field-pieces. 

' As a matter of fact, Grant began a new movement against 
Lee's right the next day. 



Spotsylvania 185 

called for additional reinforcements, and been assureil 
by the Federal Secretary of War that he shall have 
all he requires. The volunteers for one hundred days 
^nll be used as garrisons, and all the available troops 
in the North will doubtless be sent to the Army of the 
Potomac. The importance of this campaij;n to the 
administration of Mr. Lincoln and to General Grant 
leaves no doubt that every effort and every sacrifice 
will be made to secure its success. A Washington 
telegram of the iith published in a northern paper 
of the 13th states that it is reported that the loth 
and 1 8th Army corps now north of the James will be 
called to General Grant, as they are not strong 
enough to take Richmond, and too strong to bc^ kept 
idle. The recent success of General Beauregard may 
induce the fulfilment of this report, if the idea was 
not previously entertained. 

It is also stated that the troops from General 
Sherman's Dept under General Smith, which rein- 
forced Genl Banks for the Red River expedition, 
have been ordered back, it may be to join Genl 
Sherman or to be brought East. The defensive 
position of Genl. Johnston which I doubt not is 
justified by his situation, may enable the enemy to 
detach a portion of the force oppased to him for 
service here. I trust that no effort will be spared to 
prevent this, or should it occur, to give timely notice 
of it. 

From all these sources. General Grant can, and 
if permitted will repair the losses of the late battles, 
and be as strong as when he began operation. 

I deem it my duty to present the actual, and what 



i86 Lee's Dispatches 

I consider the probable situation of affairs to your 
Excellency, in order that your judgment may be 
guided in devising the means of opposing the force 
that is being arrayed against us.^ I doubt not that 
you will be able to suggest the best measures to be 
taken, and that all that the emergency calls for will 
be done as far as it is in your power. 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 100. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram-Cypher. 

Spottsylvania C. H. May i8, via Milford 
Reed Richmond May 19, 2 a.m. 
To His Ex. Presdt. Davis, 

I think Genl Grant is waiting for reinforcements. 
The 22nd a Corps under Augur and some artillery 
serving as infantry are arriving. The Chronicle 
of the 13th states that the 10 and 18 Corps . . . 

^ To be understood, this dispatch must be read in connection 
with No. 100, written on the same day and much balder in 
its statement of the precise situation. Lee insisted here, as 
during the previous correspondence of this campaign, that he 
could only hope to cope with Grant by getting reinforcements, 
not merely to meet the large and regular additions to Grant's 
army but to recover the heavy battle losses. The telegram 
which follows (No. 100) is the first statement he made to Mr. 
Davis that the alternatives were either a withdrawal to 
Richmond or the reinforcement of his army. 



Spotsylvania 187 

Richmonti where they do no good to 

Gcnl Grant. The Forts around Washington and 
the Northern cities arc being stripped of troops. 
The question is whether we shall fight the battle 
here or around Richmond. If the troops are obliged 
to be retained at Richmond I may be forced back. 

(signed) R E Lee 
[Endorsed] 
Copy 
Telegram 

Genl Lee 
Spotts C. H. 

May 18/64 
May 19/64 

X(\ loi. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram Cypher. 

Reed at Richmond May 18 at 10 o'clock 15 min. 
Spottsylvania C. H. May 18, via Guineas 
To His Ex. Prcsdt. Davis 

If the changed circumstances as around 
Richmond will permit, I recommend that such troops 
as can be spared be sent to me at once. Reports 
from our scouts unite in stating that reinforcements 
to Genl Grant arc arriving. The 22nd Corps in 
whole or part has passed through Fredericksburg 
and drafted men arc arriving from the North' 

(signed) R E Lee 

• No messages from President Daris to General Ixv of this 
date appear in the Ofkial Retards. \ax was beginning to 



1 88 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 
Copy 
Telegram 

Genl Lee 

Spotts. C. H. May 18/64 
May 18/64 

No. 102. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram in Cypher. 

Spottsylvania C. H. May 20, 1864. 
His Excy. Presdt. Davis, 

Telegram of 19th received.' Am fully alive to 
importance of concentration and being near base. 
The latter consideration may impel me to fall back 
eventually. Will do so at once if deemed best. 

realize that no substantial reinforcements were to be had. 
For notice of the troops sent him, see No. 104, infra. With 
the telegrams of this date in the De Renne correspondence, 
appears one from "Kendrick," the telegraph operator at 
Guinea's, dated from Milford, to Dr. W. J. Morris, President 

of the company, as follows: 

Milford, May 18, 64. 
Dr. W. J. Morris. 

Enemy appeared in full view of Guineas this evening and 
continued to advance. When within few hundred yards of 
depot I started on hand car with register and magnet. Did 
not have time to save balance. When about one mile this 
side we discovered very large fire, supposed to be depot. 
They tried to cut us off by sending squad of Cavalry around 
County road, but failed. Do not think they will remain 
there long. (signed) Kendrick. 

' Not found, unless it be dispatch in O. R., 51, 2, 945. It 
may be noted that Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, commanding on 



The Left I -'lank Movement 189 

My letters gave you my views/ The troops promise'* 
will be advantageous in either event. ^ I have posted 
Breckenridge at Junction to guard conmumication, 
whence he can speedily return to Valley if necessary/ 
His Infantry numbers twenty-four hundred * 

(Sgd) R E Lkf 

Geiil 
[Eftiiorsed] 

Telegram in cipher 

from Otnl R E Lee 

Spottsylvania C. H. 
May 20, 1864 

No. 103. 

{Telegram] 

Hanover Ji nction, May 22/64 

9:30 A.M. 
Hon J A Seddon, 

Secy of War, 

I have arrive<l at this place with the head of 

the James, was at this time urging on General Braxton Bragg 
and on President Davis the importance of a withdrawal by 
General Lcc to the Chickahominy line. Davis may have 
questioned Lcc as to the advisaliilily of a concentration upon 
Richmond. Sec O. R., 36, 2, 1023-25. 

'Supra, Nos. 100 and loi, in which Leo informed the 
Presitifnt that he might bo forced hack on the capital unless 
reinforced. 

' ' '-»»-. ,2. iftfra. No. 104. 

<• who had succe<xled Major-General 
Samuel Jones in command in Western Virginia. The 
"juncli«>n" referred to is Hanover Junction, for which see 
infra. No. 10 v Note i. 

» Cf. dispatches of May 22 and 2^. infra, Nos. 104 and 105. 



190 Lee's Dispatches 

Ewell's Corps.' Longstreet is close up. Hill I 

expect to come in on my right but have not heard 

from him since I left him last night. I have learned 

as yet nothing of the movements of the enemy East 

of the Mattaponi^ 

(Signed) R E Lee 

Genl 
[Endorsed] 

Han Junction 22d May, 64 
R E Lee General 
Reports his arrival with Ewell's Corps — Long- 
street's close up — Hill to come in on right — Nothing 
of the enemy East of the Mattaponi 

R B 844 
Richd. May 

No. 104. 

Head Qrs Army W. Va. 
5 A.M. 22nd May 1864. 
Dickinson's Mill 
Telegraph Road 
His Excy Jeff Davis 

Richmond 
M'' President 

I have had the honor to receive this morning your 

* Hanover Junction, now known as Doswell, is the junction 
of the Virginia Central (C. & O.) and R. F. & P. railroads. 

' Troops and suppHes were expected up the Pamunky 
River (see No. 113, infra) from deep water at West Point on 
the York, to support General Grant's army as its left swung 
around in that direction. It was also surmised (see No. 104, 
infra) that Grant was endeavoring to put the Mattaponi 
between his army and Lee. 



The Left riank Moxciiunt 191 

letters of the 19th' & 20th' inst: Part of the troops 
you were so kind as to order to me have joined, viz, 
Hoke's & Barton's brigades — Corses' & Kemper's 
reached Milford yesterday evening, but I have not 
been able as yet to get them to me, I hope to do so 
to-day.^ The enemy night before last commenced 

• Not found. 

■ An important communication, printed in O. R., 36, 950 fl. 
In this letter Mr. Davis repwrts to General Lee the movement 
again-st General Butlrr's army near Bermuda Hundred, 
states what troops are with General Beauregard and en route 
to strcn^hen Lee and then explains the projxDsals of General 
B rd mentioned in N'ote I, on t' 'ch of May 20, 

i~ ,. /"-a, No. loj. He adds : "My l: : the movement 

of troops, stated above, is not in accordance with that plan. 
If our armies in ^' ' •■ :i ^^f\ ^^ the south side of 

the James River v ^ ; to each other to combine 

their operations, we should have therein a palpable advantage, 
but you, who know the country, its rivers, and the enemy's 
water transportation, can justly appreciate what would be 
lost in gaining that advantage. How far the morale of your 
army would be atT vcmcnt no one can 

judge as well as ; inly encouraRC the 

enemy, and if he wants time and opportunity to recruit, we 
V ■ ■ ■ ■ " ■ hould lose 

; . ,, T with the 

growing crops, in that portion of Northern Virginia. I am 
'•• * ' ■ '• the matter to your decision. 

'1 any other can be of the neces- 

sities of your position — at least as well informed as any other 
•' ' * * ' • rear, including 

t , and I cannot 

do better than to leave your judgment to reach its own con- 
clusions." In No. 105, infra, General Lee answers more in 
detail. 

» On May 18, "the brigades of Corse, Kemper, Barton and 



192 Lee's Dispatches 

to withdraw from his position & to move towards 
BowHng Green '^ — The movement was not discovered 
until after dayHght, & in a wooded country Hke that 
in which we have been operating, where nothing is 
known beyond what can be ascertained by feehng, 
a day's march can always be gained — The enemy 
left in his trenches the usual amount of force generally 
visible, & the reports of his movement were so vague 
& conflicting that it required some time to shift the 
truth. It appeared however that he was endeavoring 
to place the Matapony river between him & our 
army, which secured his flank, & by rapid movements 
to join his cavalry under Sheridan to attack Rich- 
mond — I therefore thought it safest to move to the 
Annas to intercept his march, and to be within easy 
reach of Richmond. As soon therefore as his forces 
in my front C^ be disposed of, I withdrew the army 
from its position, & with two corps arrived here this 
morning — The 3rd corps (Hills) is moving on my 
right & I hope by noon to have the whole army be- 
hind the Annas. I should have preferred contesting 
the enemy's approach inch by inch; but my solicitude 
for Richmond caused me to abandon that plan. 
The enemy's whole force with the exception of the 
9th corps had left their former positions before 
dark yesterday^ I have not heard of their infantry 

Hoke, with Lightfoot's battalion of artillery" were ordered 
from Beauregard's army to re-enforce General Lee (O. R., 
36, 2, 1022). 

^ Caroline County, about three miles from the R. F. and 
P. railroad. 

s Cj. Lee to Anderson, May 21, 1864, O. R., 36, 2, 815. 



The Lclt I- lank Movement 193 

beyond Bowling Green — I have thought it probable 
that he might from that point open communication 
with Port Royal on the Rappahannock ; but I learned 
yesterday from a scout returned from the north of 
that river, that they had commenced to rebuild the 
railroad from Aquia Ck to Fredericksburg — As scx^n 
as I can get nK^re positive information concerning 
the movements of the enemy, I will forward it to you*^ 
I am with great resf)ect 

Your obt servant 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

'On May 19, General Grant took up the flanking move- 
ment which had been delayed by Lee's stubborn assault and 
began once more to move his left forward. On May 2^, he 
reached the North Anna and found Lee as formidably en- 
trenched as at any time during the campaign. It is significant 
that Lee was not at this time certain of the line Grant would 
take in moving on Richmond. The Confederate commander, 
it would appear (see No. 105). thought that Grant would adhere 
to the line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
Railroad and would not continue as pre\'iously by his left 
flank. General Lee had not abandoned his policy of attacking 
Grant on the march, but he realized the growing danger to 
Richmond and apparently anticipated that close defence for 
which he had already wame<l Mr. Daris to prepare the capital. 
The rivers "Anna" mmtioned by General Lee are the North 
and South Anna, small streams but important for military 
pi: — The North Anna is the dividing line betwei-n 

S; inia and Caroline counties on the north and Louisa 

and lianovcT on the south. The South Anna flows through 
Louisa and Hanover and courses east to join the North Anna 
near Hanover and to form the Pamunkey, one of the two 
streams that unite to form the York. 



194 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 105. 

Head Quarters A. N. Va. 

23'<^ May 1864. 
His Excy Jeff"" Davis 

President Confed: States 
Richmond Va. 
Mr. President 

Your letter of the 19th inst giving me a general 
account of the condition of military affairs has been 
received.^ This army is now lying south of the 
North Anna. I have moved General Breckinridge's 
command in front of Hanover Court House to guard 
the main route from Richmond.^ I will add to it 
Col: B. T. Johnson's,^ which I think will be sufficient 
to check any movement in that direction if made. 
At present all my information indicates that the 
movement of General Grant's army is in the direc- 
tion of Milford Station/ and General Hampton who 
is in front of that place is of the opinion that it will 
march upon Hanover Junction by that route. If 
that is its course, I think it is for the purpose of 
adhering to the railroad which, as I informed you 
yesterday, I hear is being repaired north of the 

^ See the substance of this letter in Note 2, No. 104, supra. 

^ Cf. Lee to Breckinridge, May 21, 1864: "Remain at 
Junction. Defend the position. Get up all your transporta- 
tion and be prepared to move. Fitz Lee is following cavalry 
(O. R., 36, 3, 810). 

3 Colonel, later Brigadier-General Bradley T. Johnson, 
commanding the Maryland line, — 2nd Maryland Infantry, 
1st Maryland Cavalry, ist, 2nd and 4th Maryland Artillery. 

■^ On the Fredericksburg railroad, a few miles above Hanover 
Junction. 



The Left I'lank Movement 195 

Rappahannock.' During its reconstruction, Gen- 
eral Grant will have time to recruit and reorganize 
his army, which as far as I am able to judge, has 
been very much shaken. I think it is on that ac- 
count that he interposed the Mattapony between 
us. Wliatever route he pursues I am in a position 
to move against him, and shall endeavor to engage 
him while in motion. I shall also be near enough 
Richmond I think, to combine the operations of this 
aniiy with that under General Beauregard and shall 
Ix' as ready to reinforce him if occasion requires, as 
to receive his assistance. As far as I can understand, 
General Butler is in a position from which he can 
only be driven by assault, and which I have no doubt, 
has been made as strong as possible. Whether it 
would be proper or advantageous to attack it. General 
Beauregard can determine, but if not, no more troops 
are necessar>' there than to retain the enemy in his 
entrenchments. On the contrary General Grants 
army will be in the field, strengthened by all available 
troops from the north, and it seems to me our best 
policy to unite upon it and endeavor to crush it. I 
should be very glad to have the aid of General Beau- 
regard in such a blow, and if it is possible to combine, 
I think it will succeed. The courage of this army 
was never better, and I fear no injury to it from any 
retrograde movement that may Ik? dictated by sound 
militar>' policy,* I do not think it would be well to 
permit the enemy to approach the Chickahominy, 

» That is to say. north of FrtxIcricksburR. 
• Da\ns, in his letter of May 20, had raised some question 
•s to the effect of a "retrograde" movement on the army. 



196 Lee's Dispatches 

if it can be prevented, and do not see why we could 
not combine against him after he has crossed the 
Pamunky as on the Chickahominy.' His difficulties 
will be increased as he advances, and ours diminished, 

' The situation, briefly stated, was this : General Beauregard 
with a small army was defending Petersburg and was watch- 
ing General Butler. He believed that General Lee could 
achieve the best results by assuming the defensive on the 
inner, or Chickahominy line, in front of Richmond, while 
sufficient troops from Lee's army were sent him to destroy 
Butler. In this way, Beauregard believed that the Federals 
south of the James could be kept from effecting a junction 
with Grant and that General Lee, thereby, would have a 
much simpler task. He anticipated, of course, that after he 
had struck Butler he could move with practically his whole 
force to assist General Lee. Li the dispatch here printed. 
General Lee explains his reasons for opposing Beauregard's 
plan. Butler, he thought, though "bottled up," was in a posi- 
tion from which he could only be driven by a costly assault. 
On the other hand, the Federals south of the James could be 
kept where they were by a comparatively small force. The 
rest of Beauregard's men could cooperate in what was really 
the one task before them — meeting and defeating Grant. 
Lee was furthermore opposed to fighting on the close line of 
the Chickahominy, preferring to remain in the open where he 
might have opportunity of carrying out his favorite plan 
and of striking Grant while moving. In this hope Lee was 
defeated. Grant's next move, which could not be disclosed 
until too late to prevent it, was to slide his left flank once more 
and to take position on the Chickahominy. Here he was 
kept at bay until the desperate encounter at Cold Harbor 
showed the Federal chieftain the wasteful futility of attempt- 
ing to turn Lee. The movement across the James, which 
Lee speedily foresaw, was the next step in the campaign. It 
should be noted here that at no time during his career did 
General Lee's military genius shine more brightly than in 



Tlic Left IHank Movement i«;7 

and I think it would be a great disadvantage to us 
to uncover our railroads to the west, and injurious 
to open to him more country than we can avoitl.' 
I am with great respect 

Your obt Servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. io6. 
[Tt'le^rattt] 

Tavi.oksvili.e Mav 25, 1864 
To Genl Bragg. 

I see no advantage in transferring Echols from his 
present Brigade, to Command that of McClausland. 
Dissati.sfaction already existing, would I think be 
increastxl. A Commander will have to be appointed 
or assigned for McClausland's Brigade, or it can be 
left in Command of the Senior Colonel B. H. Jones' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Genl 

t' ' ' 'lis small t Grant ■ ' ' <-e 

t: Try . Grant c .c 

forward but that he found Lcc safely entrenched ahead of 
him. 'y :lt. 

• T ; was by no means a small one, as the 
Virjnnia Central Railroad, which could not have been held 

1 ' ' . . • T, . . fj^j^Jj^ 

• John Echols (1823-1896) was a native Virginian, a former 
s' * ' ' '' ia Military 1 ' lawyer of 
J '■ war. lit .cl of the 
27th VirRinia and was promoted for gallantry to the rank of 



198 Lee's Dispatches 

"Official Copy" 
Respectfully submitted to His Excellency 
The President 

Frank Parker 
Maj. & A. D. C. 
[Endorsed] 
Telegram 

Genl Lee to Genl Bragg 
Taylorsville 
May 25/64. 

May 26/64 

No. 107. 

Head Qurs. Army No. Va. 

4^ A.M. 25th May 1864. 

His Excy Jefferson Davis 

Presdt Confed. States 
Richmond, Va. 
Mr. President 

I have the honor to enclose a dispatch of the i6th 
inst from Lieut Genl Grant to Major Genl Burnside, 
captured on the person of the A. A. A. G. ist Brigade, 
ist Division 9th Army Corps giving an account of 

brigadier-general in April, 1862. During most of the war 
he served in Western Virginia where his personal influence, 
not less than his tested ability, made him extremely valuable. 
After the surrender of Lee's army in April, 1865, Echols 
pressed forward and accompanied Mr. Davis on his retreat 
to Georgia. John McClausland (born 1837) was a graduate 
of the Virginia Military Institute and an instructor there at 
the outbreak of the war. He organized the famous "Rockbridge 



The Left Flank Movement 199 

certain successes of the Federal arms, and of the 
amount of reinforcements sent to the Army of the 
Potomac' I understand that all tlie forts and 
posts have been stripped of their garrisons. Norfolk, 
Fort Monroe, Washin^on &c are left with but small 
guards, and every available man has been brought to 
the front. This makes it necessary for us to do like- 
wise, and I have no doubt that your Excellency will 
do all in your power to meet the present emergency. 
If Genl Beauregard is in condition to unite with me 
in any opt^ation against Genl. Grant, I should like 
to know it, and at what point a combination of the 
troops could be made most advantageously to him.' 

'Icry ■' and later was a rccn; :Ticcr in Western Virj^inia 

c he raised and was coi: id colonel of the 36th 

Virginia. At this time he still ranked colonel but had been 
< ' ■ sharp fights in Western Virginia where 

I I of the war. At the battle of Cloyd's 

farm and during Early's raid into Maryland, he was 
cons 

• I i Grant to Bumside, May 16, 1864, O. R., 36, 2, 
825: "I have ofTicial notice that up to yesterday 24,700 men 
' ' ' ' md were ready to sail from Wa ' to re- 

irmy. This numlx'r is cxclusivi : 3,000 

for the garrison of Belle Plain. Butler had carried the outer 
T ' - Port Darling. Sheridan has cut Ixith railroads; had 
■ Stuart's cavalry, and had carried the outer works 
at Richmond, besides whipping the infantry sent out to drive 
■ " '' ' ' could have ■ *.) the city, but not 

. nor those • : , did not know tVat 

he could stay; therefore went in pursuance of his order 

* Cf. Beauregard to Davis, May 21, 1864. In this ic lur 
Beauregard expresses the lx»licf that w\x\\ 10,000 men he 
could "hold in check and ncutralirc" Butler's army. His 



200 Lee's Dispatches 

We have been obliged to withdraw from the banks 
of the North Anna, in consequence of the ground 
being favorable to the enemy, and the stage of the 
water such that he can cross at any point. 

Our lines cover Hanover Junction, extending up 
the river to Anderson's ford, and thence south to 
Little River. The enemy yesterday moved around 
us in all directions, examining our position, and 
entrenching as he came, until he reached the Central 
Road above Verdon.^ I presimie he has destroyed 
all within his reach. In the evening he fell back 
towards the North Anna. 

With great respect 

Your Obt. Servt., 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

own force Beauregard estimated to be: infantry, 13,000, 
artillery, 850, cavalry, 680, total, 14,530. He wrote: "With 
regard to re-enforcing General Lee, I shaU be most happy to 
do so whenever you shall judge proper to order it" (O. R., 
36, 3, 818-19). This statement was in answer to a request 
as to what he might do to carry out the plan proposed by 
Lee. It is to Beauregard's credit that he yielded to the 
judgment of the President, General Lee, General Bragg and 
Secretary Seddon in this matter. It is equally to his credit 
that he did not fail to caution the executive of dangers on 
his own line. When he dared do so, he spared Hoke. As 
will be apparent from the dispatches covering the period 
June 14-17, Beauregard's forces probably saved Richmond 
at a time when the absence of a single other brigade from his 
little army would at the least have meant the capture of 
Petersburg and the isolation of Richmond. 

3 A way-station on the Virginia Central Railroad, a few miles 
west of Hanover Junction. 



The Left I "lank Movement 201 

No. 108. 
[Telegram] 

11(1. Qrs. Atlees 

1 04 ,\..M. 28 May 64. 

General Braxton Bragg 
Richmond, \'a. 

I have just learned that Genl. Glary from causes 
unkno\s'n to me burned Meadow bridge last night. 
Please cause it to be re-establishtxl as soon as prac- 
ticable. Troops will assist in the re-construction. 
Tirnl)er suitable for the purpose should be sent as 
there is none just there. Meanwhile a pontoon 
bridge should be laid. It is important to this army. 

Please have a telegraph operator sent to Atlees.' 

R. E. Lee 
Offl. 

\V. H. Tavi.or 

A. A. G. 

[Endorsed] 

Hd. Qrs. Atlees 28 May 64. R. E. Lee Genl. Re- 
quests that Meadow Bridge be immediately rees- 
tablished. R. B. 945 Telegraph operator Ashland. 
Reed. 28 May 3: 2 p.m. 

• " Genl. Glary " is evidently a mistake in transmission, as 

t' "^ " ' *' ' • in the Confederate army. 

^ mt at this time. It crossed 

the Chickahominy River a short distance from the railroad 
and V.AS the ' '-' ' '' ' Tv.iad. The nearest 

was at the [ Turnpike crossed 

the river. Ap|)cnded to this dispatch is a telegram from W. H. 



202 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 109. 

Head Qurs. 28th May 1864. 
Near Hughes Shop on the 
road to Atlees. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 
President Confed States 
Mr. President 

Information I received yesterday at noon led me 
to beUeve that the enemy was proceeding from near 
Hanover Town by Hawes' ' Shop towards the Me- 
chanicsville Road, and induced me to take position 
on the ridge between the Totopotomey and Beaver 
Dam Creeks, so as to intercept his march to Rich- 
mond. On reaching this point I could only learn 
that cavalry had been seen as far as Hawes' Shop, 
and that a column of infantry was seen from Hanover 
Court House passing down what is called the River 
Road, which I understand to be the road from Han- 
over Ct. House to Hanover Town. The want of 
information leads me to doubt whether the enemy is 
pursuing the route just described, or whether, now 
that he finds the road open by Ashland, he may not 
prefer to take it. This causes me to pause for a 

Taylor, General Lee's adjutant-general, in which the Super- 
intendent of the South Telegraph Company is requested to 
send an operator to Atlee's, where General Lee's headquarters 
were established that day. Atlee's is located on the Virginia 
Central Railroad, about one mile beyond the Chickahominy. 
" The name is Haw and the store is written "Haw's" on 
the maps. Haw's store is located just north of the Totopo- 
tomoy, opposite Salem Church. 



The Lcli I -lank MuvLincnt 203 

while, but should he proceed on the road to Mechanics- 
villc, the army will be placed on the Totopotomey 
Rifl^c. 

Should he on the other hand take the Telegraph 
Road,* I shall try to intercept him as near Ashland as 
I can. In either event I shall endeavor to engage 
him as soon as possible, and will l)e near enough to 
Richmond for General Beauregard^ to unite with me 
if practicable. Should any field nearer to Richmond 
be more convenient to him and he will designate it, 
I will endeavor to deliver battle there. 
I am with great respect 
Your obt. serv't. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

' Tlif significanco of this dispatch lies, of a)urse, in the dis- 
closure that General Lee was not at this time certain whether 
Grant would move on Richmond from the north or northea..t. 
The position which General Lee had taken was between two 
small streams, one of which, t!ie '! noy. ran almost 

cast and west, and the other, Beaver . - reek, ran west and 
cast until it turned south and joined the Chickaliominy. 
Grant was moving as ft n on the 

Chickahominy and, in , , .. . . ..;..:.; General 

Lcc's riiiht. which necessitated only a simple turn to place 
I>cc in the familiar p< tround Cold Ilarlxir. T 

General Grant met the :.. . vcre repuLsc of the camp.i:,,:.. 
Hatl Grant followed the Telegraph Road, mentioned by Gen- 
eral L- !d have been more to the west. 

*Gc:.-;.- , . is main line was along the "neck" 

between the James and Appomattox where Butler had been 
"»> " He it Drewry's Bluff and 

atl. cT the li : .: r he ct)uld entrain to 

Richmond and march to Lee's line. When Hoke was sent 



204 Lee's Dispatches 

No. no. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond May 29, 1864. 
By telegraph from Hd Qrs A. N. Va. 

To Genl B. Bragg 
Via Atlees I telegraphed Genl 

Beauregard this morning that I would be happy to 
see him here to-day. I can not say where I will be 
tomorrow' 

R. E. Lee 

244/80 R 

[Endorsed] 
Atlees 

May 29, 1864. 

Ro. E. Lee Genl 
Reports that he has telegraphed Genl Beauregard 
that he would be happy to see him today — can't say 
where I will be tomorrow R B 958 

Reed May 29 64. 

from Beauregard to Lee, he went by train to Richmond and 
marched out on the Mechanicsville turnpike. See No. 115, 
infra. 

' On May 28, President Davis sent to General Beauregard 
by special messenger a copy of General Lee's letter of the 
same date, with verbal instructions (Davis to Beauregard, 
O. R., 51, 2, 966; Beauregard to Davis, O. R., 36, 3, 849). 
Both Lee and Beauregard sent telegrams regarding the meet- 
ing between them, which was held the next day. See No. 
III. 



The Left I'lank Movement 205 

No. III. 

[Telegram] 

Atlees, May 29, 1864. 
9 o'clock r.M. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 
In conference with Genl Beaurej^ard he states 
that he has only twelve thousand Infantry and can 
spare none.' If Oenl Orant advances tomorrow I 
will engage him with my present force 

(Signtxl) R E Lee 
General 
[Endorsed] 

Copy Telegram 
Genl R E Lee 

Atlees May 29, 1864 

' This w ' " • • ' ' I 

and had bc< i 

times. On the date of this dispatch Beauregard vrrotc the 
President: "M ' . . , ^ 

the purpose of : i 

the part left to guide my lines and would greatly endanger 
Ri ' ' 'f (O. R.. 36. 3, 849). r ' ' ,. 

pr .oa part of Bcaurcganl's .1 

to cooperate with Lee and determined the latter to meet Grant 

joi 

But on the whole, the decision reached was yrisc for the time 
and fortunate Utr the ' '" " '' 

httlc army it held Gr. 

dispatch of troops from Butler to Grant at this time tempo- 
rarily .' ' ■' • ' ' : 

Lee a ; ., 

No. 114. (-.pccially Note 3. 



2o6 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 112. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richd. May 30 1864. 
By telegraph from Atlees 30. To Gen. B. Bragg. 
7.30 A.M. I was informed that two (2) Georgia 
Battalions the nth. & 12th. were under orders for 
this army. Only the 12th. has reported. Will the 
nth. or any other Georgia Battalion or Regiment 
be sent here?^ 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
34/680 

[Endorsed] 
Atlees 

May 30 '64. 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
Reports that he has been informed that 2 Geo. 
Batts, the nth. & 12th. were under orders for this 
army. Only 12th. has reported. Will nth. or any 
other Geo. Batt. or Regt. be sent here? 
R. B. 960. 

Reed. May 30 1864. 

' The 1 2th Georgia battaHon of heavy artillery had been 
ordered from Savannah on May 15, 1864 (O. R., 36, 2, loii), 
had passed Wilmington with 480 men on May 20 (ibid., 3, 
808), and had been ordered to General Lee on May 21 (ibid., 
813). The "nth," not mentioned during the campaign, 
may be the "i8th" which was brought from Georgia at the 
same time (aggregate strength 250-300) but had been sent 



The Left I 'lank Movement 207 

No. 113. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richd. May 30 1864. 
By telegraph from Head Quarters 30. 

To Gen B. Bragg via Stones Farm. 

3.15 P.M. Scout from lower Pamunky reports that 
Genl. Custer and Junior otTiccrs of enemy's Cavalry 
near Old Church state that Butler's fleet will be at 
West Point today. This may be the fleet reported 
going down the James yesterday and is probably 
conveying Smith's Corps to Grant.' The idea is 
general amongst them that Butler is to reinforce them. 
One steamer was at WTiite House yesterday & was 
communicated with by officer & detachment from 
Grant's army. Scout left vicinity of White House 
at 8 this morning at that time had heard nothing of 
appearance of fleet. Citizens reported Boats at 

Brick House. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
102/2040 Chg. 

to the Mattoax bridge to relieve a detachment of the 28th 
Va. (loc. cit., 813). The 46th, 47th and 56th Gcorj^a rej^imcnta 
had also been ordered from the south to join Lcc {ibid., 2, ion). 
' Sec supra. No. 103. Troops dispatchcfl from Butler to 
Grant could go down the James River by steamer, up the 

York to West Point an! *' ^ up the Pamunkcy to WTiite 

Hou.sc, at the hearl of n.r They would then be \^-ithin 

a short march of the Federals. On May 26, in obedience to 
orders. General Butler notified General Grant that he would 
send 17,000 men by this route. See O. R., 36, 3, 234, 235, 
278, etc. 



2o8 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 

vStones Farm 
May 30. 1864. 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
Scouts from lower Pamunky reports that Genl. 
Custer & Jr. officers of enemy's Cav. near Old Church 
state that Butler's fleet will be at West Point to-day. 
May be the fleet reported going down the James 
yesterday and is probably conveying Smith's Corps 
to Grant. Steamer at White House yesterday & 
was communicated with by officer and detachment 
from Grant's Army. Scouts left vicinity of White 
House at 8 this a.m. At that time heard nothing 
of appearance of fleet. Citizens report Boats at 
Brick House. 

R. B. 994 Reed. May 31. 64. 

No. 114. 

H'^Q^^ Army N. Va. 
30th May 1864. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Presdt. C. States, 
M'' President, 

As I informed you by telegraph,' my conference 
with Gen. Beauregard resulted in the conclusion on 
his part, that we cannot spare any troops to reinforce 
this army. He thinks the enemy in his front supe- 
rior to him in numbers. Of this I am unable to 
judge, but suppose of course that with his means of 

^ See supra, No. iii. 



The Left riank Movement 209 

information, his opinion is correct. I think it very 
iniptjrtant to strengthen this amiy as much as pos- 
sible, and it has occurred to me that the presence of 
the two armies north and south of James River, may 
render it possible to spare ynth safety some of the 
tnK)ps in Richmond or its defences.* It is imma- 
terial to what State the troops may belong, as I can 
placx* them in brigades from the same, and even if 
they be few in numbers, they will add something to 
our strength. I submit this proposition to your 
judgment and hope you may be able to find means to 
incrrase our numbers without endangering the safety 
of Richmond. I think it important that troops 
enough shoultl l>e retained to man the works at 
Drewr>''s & Chapin's BlufTs and to support the 
batteries around the city, in order to guard against 
a sudden attack by cavalry or othen^'ise. If this 
army is unable to resist Grant the troops under Gen. 
Beauregard and in the city will be unable to defend 
it.* 

Very respectfully 

Your obt. servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

' Major-Gcneral Ransom, commanding the department of 
Richmond reported his strength on .May 31 as follows: effec- 
tive total present, 5.746, aggregate present, 6,986, aggregate 
present and absent, 9.989. 

'At 7:30 P.M., General Loc telegraphed Mr. Da\*is that 

"Genl. V ' the [Warl P . f^ptcr- 

mine w; 1 for him. 1 vx-ssary 

information. The result of this delay will be disaster. But- 

M 



210 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 115. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richd. May 31, 1864. 

By telegraph from Atlees Station 31 To Gen Brax- 
ton Bragg 

O. K. 5 A.M. Best route for Hoke when arrived 

at Richmond is to march to Mechanicsville and halt 

there ^ 

RE Lee 

16/320 
F 

ler's troops (Smith's corps) will be with Grant tomorrow. 
Hoke's division at least should be with me by eight tomorrow" 
(O. R., 36, 3, 850). The same evening General Beauregard 
wired that he considered his instructions sufiEicient to warrant 
him in sending Hoke to Lee. At almost the same time the 
War Department ordered the transfer {ibid., 857). This 
correspondence regarding the transfer of troops from Beau- 
regard must not be interpreted as a clash between that 
officer and Lee. Both felt, and with good reason, that their 
position was critical and that to weaken the one or not to 
reinforce the other would mean disaster. 

* See dispatch of May 30 (No. 1 14, supra) and Note 3 thereon. 
Hoke's division (return of May 21) was composed of Martin's, 
Hagood's, Clingman's and Colquitt's brigades, with Read's 
battalion of artillery. The aggregate present strength was 
7,656 (O. R., 36, 3, 817). The troops were seasoned and were 
much needed by General Lee who now saw that Grant intended 
to make at least one more assault on his line before concluding 
his "left flank" movement. The prompt transfer of Hoke 
was another proof of the speed with which the Confederate 
War Department moved under pressure. A very interesting 
monograph might be written on the employment of railroad 
transportation in the war between the States. 



The Left I''hmk Muvcincnl 211 

[Endorsed] 

Atlecs Station May 31, 1864. 
R E Lee, 
Genl. 
Reports best route for Hoke when he arrives in 
Richmond, is to march to Mechanicsville and halt 
there 

R B988 
Reed 31 May. 

No. 1 16. 

U°Q COLEMANS 

8 r.M. 1 Jum- 64. 
His Excy Presd' Davis 
Mr. President 
Your note of to-day in reference to Genl Echols' 
just received — If Genl. Echols is too unwell for duty 
there is no objection to his returning to Western 
Va — He should make application in the proper way 
— Col Patton' is already, I think, in command of 
his brigade.^ 

I am with hij;h respect 

Your obt ser\'t 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

• Brieadicr-Gcncral John Echols, who had seen service in 
■ and had joined I>oe with the rest of Breck- 
i :.d. Sec No. 106, supra, Note I. 

' Gcorv'c S. Patton, who, on June i, 1864, signs himself 
"c<'- '"'* (O. R.. 36, 3. 864). 

M; -Icncc of this date appears the follow! nR 

messaj^c from Bcaure>;ard to Lcc: 



212 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 117. 

H^Q'^" Near Gaines Mill 

I P.M. June 3rd 1864. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Presdt. C. States 
Mr. President 

Your letter of 4 p.m. yesterday is just received. ^ 
My letter to the Hon. Secretary of War of 5 a.m. 
this morning,^ will have informed your Excy of the 
events of yesterday & the day before and your aid 
Col Johnson conveyed to you those of to-day. The 
right of your line extends to Turkey Hill, which is 
the last hill on this side of the Chickahominy, and 
covers M^Clellan's Br: [idge] I do not know how 
the report of the advance of the enemy's cavalry 
to that point originated. It is not correct. I sent 
Gen. Fitz Lee with his div" over the Chickahominy 

Near Chester, Va. June ist, 1864 7 p.m. 
General Robert E. Lee, 

Shady Grove Church, Va. 
Prisoners and deserters report Gilmore, with two divisions, 
about 8,000 men, still in my front. One of his Divisions 
with Smith's Corps, say 16,000 men in all, have gone to White 
house, probably to join Grant — I have left here one Division, 
which can be moved to North Side of James River soon as 
balance of Gilmore's Corps shall have been withdrawn, or 
Government shall have determined to abandon line of Com- 
munications from Petersburg to Richmond. 

(Signed) G. T. Beauregard. 

^ Not found. 

* Not found, Lee to Seddon, June 2, 1864, 8 p.m., gives 
details of the operations of June i and 2. 



The Left Flank Movement 213 

to Bottom's Br. [iilgc] yesterday. He reports this 
morning that he has the river strongly guarded to 
that point, with pickets over to the James. 

So far every attack of the enemy has been repulsed. 
His assaults began early this morning, and continued 
until about 9 o'clock. The only impression made on 
our line was at a siilient of Gen Breckenridge's posi- 
tion, where the enemy broke through and captured 
front of a battalion. He was immediately driven 
out with severe loss by Gen Finnegan's brigade & 
the Md. Battalion, and the line restored.^ 



' Later assaults arc reported in Lee to Scddon, June 3, 1864, 
8:45P.M.: "Rcjx^atetl atlack.s were made upon General An- 
derson's ix)siti«)n, chiefly a^'ainst his right, under General 
Kershaw. They ucre met \rith preat steadiness and repulsed 
in every instance. The attack extended to our extreme left, 
under General Karly with Hke results. loiter in the day it 
was twice rcnewe<l against General Heth, who occupies Early's 
left, but was repulsetl with loss. General Hampton encoun- 
tered the enemy's cavalry near Maw's Shop, and a part of 
General W. H. F. Lee's diWsion drove them from their in- 
trenchments. . . . Our loss to-day has been small, and our 
success, under the blessing of Go<l, all that we could expect" 
(O. R., 36. 3, 869). The battle which General Lee thus 
modestly reports was Grant's famous frontal assault on Lcc's 
line, commonly called the Battle of Cold Harlxjr, though the 
cngaRemcnt of June i has an equal ri^,'ht to that name. From 
the North Anna, Grant had advance<l towards the Chicka- 
hominy (supra. No. 109, Note 2) and had renewed his head-on 
attacks. The assaults repulsed on the third were the most 
viKorous and hazardous that Grant had ever made and they 
cost him at least 3,000 men. So certain was death in the 
advance that numbers of his officers refu.seil to carry out his 
orders for further assaults. The result of this fight, more 



214 Lee's Dispatches 

I am gratified to learn of the efforts made by yours 
Excy to bring out troops. I think it very important 
that those men engaged in preparing ammunition 
should remain, as your Excy has directed. 

Gen Hoke reports that the troops in his front are 
said to belong to Butler's forces, and it is said that 
prisoners have been captured from the i8th corps. 
I hope that Gen Beauregard will be able to find out 
the strength of the enemy in his front, and that he 
can spare additional reinforcements for this army at 
once."^ No time should be lost if reinforcements 
can be had. 

Very respy your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

than anything else, prompted Grant to move his army across 
the James. (See his statement, O. R., 36, i, 22.) 

" While sure that Butler had sent heavy reinforcements 
to Grant, estimated to be 16,000 (see Note 3, Dispatch of June 

1, 1864, supra, No. 116), Beauregard was still uncertain of 
Butler's strength and on June 2, he telegraphed General Lee 
that 8,000 were still in his front, against whom he had "one 
division, which can be moved to North Side of James River 
as soon as balance of Gilmore's corps shall have been with- 
drawn, or Government shall have determined to abandon line 
of communication from Petersburg to Richmond." On June 

2, Lee wired that it would be "disadvantageous" to abandon 
the Petersburg line but asked: "Can you not leave sufficient 
guard and move with balance of your command to north side 
of James River and take command of right wing of army?" 
(O. R., 36, 3, 864.) To this Beauregard replied (in a telegram 
included in the De Renne papers but printed in Freeman, 
Calendar of Confederate Papers, 59) that he had ordered a 
reconnaissance of his front and had sent Ransom's brigade 



The Lett I lank MovL-rmnt 215 

No. 118. 

Hi). Qrs. a. N. Va. 

5th. June 1864. 
His Excl. President Davis, 

Richmond 

Mr. President: 

I enclose two dispatches just reed. I can only 

send Gen. Brcckenridge with his command if you 

think proper. If he is to go, transportation should 

be at once prepared for him.' 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 



to Bottom's bridge. "I am willing," he added, "to do any- 
thing for our success, but cannot leave my department u-ithout 
orders from the War Department." Later in the day in 
telegrams (included in this collection, but already printed, one 
in O. R., loc. cil., 868, the other in Freeman, op. cit., 59) 
Beauregard announced that the reconnaissance showed it 
would be dangerous to send away Ransom's brigade. "We 
ni»: ' "it between Bottom's bridge and railroad 

co: ween Petersburg and Richmond," he 

wrote. At 9 p.m.. General Bragg ordered Ransom's brigade 
across the river, to re-o- ' < neral Lee, as here requested. 

This ordtT, however, li ,. -d did not execute until the 

next day, owing to certain activities in his front. In a formal 
letter to Bragg he explainwl his position in detail and the 
dangers which would threaten the Confederate capital by 
the reduction of his force (sec O. R., loc. cit., 871-72). It is 
worthy of note that this letter '■ with the v 

in the CaUndar of Confederate P ■ : out and mak. , 

correspondence for these critical days which is scarcely 
int( " ' ' ■ --^^ . . j^f^Q^^^ 

1, but sec Lee to Da\'i.s, June 6, 
1864, infra, Xos. 119 and 120. 



2i6 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 

Hd. Quarters A. N. Va. 
June 5th. 64 

R. E. Lee Genl. 
Can only send Breckenridge with his command. 
If to go transportation should be furnished at once. 

R. B. 1048. 
Reed. June 5th. 



No. 119. 

Head Qrs A. N Va. 

on the field 
7^/2 A.M. June 6 '64. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 

President Conf. States 
Mr. President 

I think some good officer should be sent into 
the Valley at once to take command there and col- 
lect all the forces regulars, locals & reserves, & en- 
deavour to drive the enemy out — I do not know 
Gen Vaughan who seems to be now in command' — 
Gen. Echols has gone home sick and I think from the 
nature of his disease is incapacitated for field service 
though a most excellent officer"" — Gen Breckenridge 

^ George C. Vaughn of Tennessee who had previously 
served in the Valley of Virginia and had been captured in 
1863 at Vicksburg. He had been brigadier-general since 
September 20, 1862, and later in 1864 was returned to service 
in Tennessee (C. M. H., 8, 339-41). 

* Echols, though a man of powerful physique, had been 
wounded in 1862 and had not fully recovered. 



The Left Flank Movement 217 

is at present disabled by the fall of his horse & has 
gone to Richmond.^ From the representations made 
to me I think he will be well in a day or two — I 
recommend that he be sent out to the Valley to take 
command & do what is practicable in rousing the 
inhabitants & defending the countr\'. Other persons 
of inlluence in that country shoidd be sent on the 
same mission. Gen W. E. Jones WTOte to me before 
reaching Staunton that he had with him 4000 in- 
fantry & dismounted cavalry, 1000 mounted men & 
plenty of artiller}' following — Gen Imbodcn who was 
at that time below Staunton wrote to me that he had 
3000 men — I was in hopes their united forces would 
have defeated Gen. Hunter. The only assistance I 
can get from this army as I WTote you last night 
would be to send back Wharton's & Echols' brigades 
numbering now about 2100 muskets — They are 
now in reserve & I have ordered them to be provi- 
sioned for two days — "• I have also sent into Riclimond 

' This, it is scarcely necessary to state, was John C. Breck- 
inridge of Kentucky, candidate for the Presidency in i860 
and later Secretary of War in Mr. Davis' Cabinet. 

* Cf. O. R., 36, 2. 863, 870. Breckinridge was ordered to 
Western Virjnnia within the next few days. The exact date 
docs n«'' in the Ofxcial Records. The advance which 

these tr , rc sent to check was that of General David 

Hunter who had succeeded the incomi^tent Sigcl in the Valley 
of Virjnnia. On June 6. the dale of this dispatch, Hunter 
won a \-ictory at Pietlmont and two da)-^ later, harin^ joined 
Averill and Crook at Staunton, turned to the cast and marched 
toward Lynchburg. He arrive*! in front of the Hill City on 
June 1 6 hut was met by the troops sent from Lee's army and 
was repulsed. Early, in the meantime, with 12,000 men from 



2i8 Lee's Dispatches 

to ascertain whether they could be transported by 
rail to Staunton & in what time. These are elements 
necessary to a proper decision in the case. It is 
apparent that if Grant cannot be successfully re- 
sisted here we cannot hold the Valley — If he is de- 
feated it can be recovered — But unless a sufficient 
force can be had in that country to restrain the 
movements of the enemy, he will do us great evil & 
in that event I think it would be better to restore to 
Gen. Breckinridge the troops drawn from him. The 
enemy is now moving in my front — He is withdraw- 
ing from our left but I have not yet been able to 
discover what is his purpose or intention. I fear he 
may have, during the night thrown a force across the 
Chickahominy below as Prisoners taken in front of 
Longstreets & Ewell's corps day before yesterday 
stated that they belonged to Gilmore's corps & that 
the whole of that corps had united with Gen Grant 
& that Gilmore was here in person — That there was 
nothing left at Bermuda Hundred except negro 
troops & some cavalry — Their statements must 
always be taken with hesitation, but the officers, 
who examined them say that they were apparently 
telling what they believed to be true. 

I am very respectfully 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



Ewell's corps, moved westward and led Hunter to begin a 
retreat which did not end until the Federals reached the Ohio ! 
Sheridan, sent from Grant to succor Hunter, did not find him 



The Left M.ink M()\'rinciU -'ly 

No. I JO. 

Head Qurs Gaines Mills 

3 P.M. 6 June 1864. 
His Excy Jf.ff Davis 
Presidcnl 

Richmond Va. 
Mr. President 

I have rec** your note* in answer to mine by Col 
Venable' Cjcnl. Wharton has his command already to 
move with provisions for two days, ammunition &c.^ 
I am awaiting information for which you have writ- 
ten & which I hope will decide the question of his 
going or not satisfactorily — G' Brcckenridge I think 
ought to go at all events if able — He can do a great 
deal personally in rallying the troops & people — 
Genl Wharton may have time to get there to assist 
in beating Hunter & then return to us — I agree with 
you in thinking that wc require here ever>' man we 
can get — Genl Grant is withdrawing from his right 
& extending to his left towards the Chickahominy — 
G' Early with Ewells corps is advancing down our 
front to try to attack the enemy in flank, but reports 

and clashed with Wade Hampton and Filz Lcc at Trc\*iUan*s 
•n Juno 1 1 . Early did not rejoin Lcc but Ix^j^an his 
• up the V.illi'V. to wliiili rofcrnui* will Liter Ik* made. 
' Not found. 

* CohincI •'"' Ic, aidc-ilc-camp to General Lcc 
and later pr _ .iversity of Virj^nJa. 

* Gabriel C. Wharton, brigade commander in Breckinridge's 
division, who had seen scr\nce in Western Virpnia and Ken- 
tucky. He wxs soon returned to the Valley and aided in 
Early's raid on Washington (C. M. H., 3, 684-85). 



220 Lcc's Dispatches 

that ill consequence of the nature of the country & 
the labyrinth of fortifications made by the enemy 
it is almost impossible to get along — I shall make 
every cllort to strike at him, but fear that his usual 
precautions will prevent unless I undertake to assault 
his fortifications which T desire to avoid if possible.* 
I am witli high respect 
Your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

■• General Grant, it is scarcely necessary to note, was moving 
toward the James in order to cross that stream and attack 
Richmond from the South. It may, however, be of interest 
to (|U()tc Grant's own statement of his purpose: "From the 
])roximity of the enemy to his defences around Richmond 
it was impossible by any flank movement to interpose be- 
tween him and the city. I was still in a condition to either 
move by the left flank and invest Richmond from the north 
side or to continue my move by his ri^dit flank to the south 
side of tlie James. While the former might have been better 
as a covering for Wasliington, yet a full survey of all the ground 
satisfied me that it would be impracticable to hold a line 
north and east of Richmond that would jirotect the Fredericks- 
burg railroad — a long, vidnorable line which would exhaust 
much of our strength to guard, and that would have to be 
protected to supi)ly the army and would leave open to the 
iMUMuy all his lines of communication on the south side of the 
James. My idea., from the start, had been to beat Lee's 
army north of Richmond if possible; then, after destroying 
his lines of conunuuication north of the James River, to trans- 
fer the army to the south side and besiege Lee in Richmond 
or follow him South if he should retreat. After the battle of 
the Wilderness it was eviilent that the enemy deemed it of 
the first importance to run no risks with the army he then had. 
He acted purely on the defensive behind breastworks, or 



The Left Flank Movement 221 

No. 121. 

H- Q" Army N Va. 

9th June 1864. 
His Excy Jeff Davis 
Pnsidcnl C. States 

Mr. PRESn)ENT, 

In my rt'port to the Hon Secty of War ycs- 
tenlay cveninjj, ' I stated that (jen Sheridan with 
a hirj;e force of cavalry had crossed the Panuinky 
in the afternoon of the 7th at New Castle Ferry, and 
encamped that ni^^ht about Dunkirk and Aylett's 
on the Matapony. He was acc(jmpanie<l by artil- 
lery, wagons, ambulances, and beef cattle. I have 
received no definite information as to his purpose, 

feebly on the offensive immediately in front of them, and 

where in case of repulse he would easily retire l>ehind them. 

Without a ^'f ' life than I v. " ke, 

all could no' I that I haM of 

Richmond. I therefore determined to continue to hold sub- 
... . . . , •• . ^f 

i-s, 
until the cavalry couM Ix* sent to Charlottesville and Gordons- 

i ■ . . ">d 

when the cavalry jjot well off to move the army to the south 
side of ?■ ' " ' ' • • " • • .^,. I 

felt I c . . , 'he 

canal" (O, R., 36, I, 22). The first step in his removal from 
his jKisition in front of CoM Harlx)r, in oriler to crr>ss the 
James, was for Grant to extend his left Ix'low Ixf's ri^jht on 
the C'hickahominy, to cross that stream and to make for the 
T ' ''^fi preparations for this movement 

• O. R., 36. 3, 879. 



222 Lee's Dispatches 

but conjecture that his object is to cooperate with 
Gen Hunter, and endeavor to reach the James, 
breaking the railroads &c as he passes, and probably 
to descend on the south side of that river. ^ I think 
it necessary to be on our guard and make every 
arrangement in our power to thwart his purpose 
and protect our communications and country. I 
have directed Gens. Hampton and Fitz Lee with 
their divisions to proceed in the direction of Hanover 
Junction, and thence, if the information they receive 
justifies it, along the Central R. R., keeping the enemy 
on their right, and shape their course according to 
his. The pause in the operations of Gen. Grant 
induces me to believe that he is awaiting the effect 
of movements in some other quarter to make us 
change our position, and renders the suggestion I 
make with reference to the intention and destination 
of Gen Sheridan more probable. It was stated by 
a prisoner captured yesterday belonging to Gen. 
Sheridan's command, that they had heard that Gen 
Morgan was in Pa. and that they were going in 
pursuit. I mention this improbable story as you 
may know whether there is any truth in the statement 
with reference to Gen Morgan. A negro servant 
belonging to our army who had been captured by the 
enemy, made his escape from Gen Sheridan yesterday 
at 10 A.M. near Mangonick Church, and was under 
the impression that they would encamp that night 
at Bowling Green. Three prisoners brought in to 

' Except in so far as the return on the south side of the 
James was concerned, this forecast was in precise accord 
with General Grant's plans. 



The Left Mank Movement 223 

Gen Hampton confirm in part the statement of the 
s*.Tvant. 

An extract from the Philadclpliia Inquirer pub- 
lished in our papers reports that the army of the 
N West under Gen Pope was on its way to reinforce 
tliat of the Potomac, and a gentleman from the 
Valley says that a force of two or three thousand 
men, believed to be under Gen Pope was moving to 
jfiin Gen Hunter, and should have reached Staunton 
by this time.^ There may be therefore some prob- 
ability in the story. I do not know whence rein- 
forcements can be drawn to our armies unless Gen 
Kirby Smith can cross a part of his force to join 
Gen. Johnston and enable him to assume the offensive. 
Very respectfully 

Your obt serv't 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 122. 

[Telegram] 

Dated Mechanicsville June 9 1864. 

445 PM. 
Rec'd at Richmond 6 O'clock 30 Mins. p.m. 
To Genl. Bragg. 

Your dispatch of one O'Clock just received. 
Have ordered Ransom's Brigade' to march by route 

' S^^-c supra. No. 1 19. Note 4. Hunter had reached Suunton 
For Grant's idtas as to the possible out- 
's raid to l<H)k fur Hunter, sec his report, 
O. R.. 35. 1.24. 

• Ransom's brit^adc, it will \)c rcmeml)ered, had been sent 



224 Lee's Dispatches 

it came to Gen. Beauregard. If not necessary please 
countermand order. 

R. E. Lee 
[Endorsed] 

Mechanicsville June 9th. 
R. E. Lee Genl. 
Has received Dispatch of i O' Clock to-day. Has 
ordered Ransom's Brigade to cross James River by 
route it came, to report to Beauregard. Asks to be 
countermanded if not necessary. 

R. B. mo 
Reed. Had. Qrs. A. C. S. June 9th 

No. 123. 

[Telegram] 

Dated Mechanicsville Road 9 J 
Received at Richmond June 9 1864 9 O' Clock p.m. 
To General Bragg. 

I have received & acknowledged all your dispatches 
either by telegraph or courier. ' 

R. E. Lee 
D. H. Genl. 

(Reed. 9:10 P.M. June 9) 

to General Lee by Beauregard on June 4. Their return at 
this time was demanded by the advance of a column toward 
Petersburg. This attack was met and repulsed the same day 
(0. R., I, 36, 3, 884-85). 

' There is no evidence in this correspondence that General 
Lee resented the temporary supervision of General Bragg who 
at this time was acting as military adviser to the President 
and had practically supplanted the Secretary of War. During 
the time of Bragg's stay in Richmond, Lee, as previously, 
sent important communications direct to President Davis. 



'I'hc Lcll Mank Movement 225 

[Endorsed] 

Hd. Qs. A. \. VA. June 9th. 64 9 p.m. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
Has recd. & acknowledged all dispatches. 

R. B. 1 102 
Rrcd. Iia. Qrs. A. C. S. June 9th. 64. 

No. 124. 

Head Qlrs. Army Xo. \'.\. 

1 1 June 1864. 

Hon. James A. Seddon 
Secretary of War 
Richmond. \'a. 

Sir: 

I enclose a recommendation of Colonel Morgan' 
of Alabama for Rodes Brigade. From all that I can 
learn of Colonel Morgan and from Genl. Ewell's and 
Gen'l Rodes' opinion expressed in this recommenda- 
tion I think his appointment is the best which can 
be made. I enclose also the commission sent to 
Col. O'Neal which I respectfully return for the con- 
sideration of the Department. Since my first letter 
to his Excellency the President I have seen Colonel 
O'Neal and made more particular inquiries into his 
capacity to command the brigade and I cannot 
recommend him to the command. I therefore 
recommend the speedy appointment of Col. Morgan, 

• John Tyler Morjian of Alabama. Sec No. 51. supra. 
«s 



226 Lee's Dispatches 

as this brigade under a competent officer will accom- 
plish much.'^ 

With great respect 

Your obt. Servt. 
(sgd.) R. E. Lee 

General. 
An official copy 
W. H. Taylor 
A. A. G. 

[Endorsed] 
Head Qurs A. N. V. ii June 1864. 

R. E. Lee 

General. 
Recalling his recommendation of Col. E. A. 
O'Neal for the position of Brig. Genl., and returning 
the commission sent to him &c. Recommends the 
speedy appointment of Col. Morgan. 

No. 125. 

H^'Q'^^ A N Va 
12:10 P.M. 14th June 1864. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Presdt. C. States 
Mr. President 

I have just received your note of ii>^ p.m. 
yesterday/ I regret very much that I did not see 
you yesterday afternoon, and especially after your 
having taken so long a ride. If the movement of 
Early meets with your approval, I am sure it is 

' See Nos. 51 and 81, supra. 
^ Not found. 



Crossing the James 227 

the best that can be made, though I know liow difTi- 
cult it is with my Hmitcd knowledge to perceive 
wliat is best. 

I think the enemy must be preparing to move 
South of James River. Our scouts and pickets 
yesterday stated that Gen Grant's whole amiy was 
in motion for the fords of the Chickahominy from 
Long Bridge down, from which I inferred that he 
was making his way to the James River as his new 
base.' I cannot however learn positively that more 

•This dis{>atch and those following, to No. 137, inclusive, 
r> ' " * he movement which carr; ' ' ' •" of 

I. from lf>e James to the A; -xl 

the siege of Petersburg. As General Grant's own statement 
makes plain (No. 120, supra, Note 4) the repulse of his attacks 
at Cold Harbor convinced him that Richmond could only be 
taken from the north by costly assaults. His frank confession 
that he was unwilling * ich a price deserves to be taken 

at its face value. At lime, it is not improbable that 

the behavior of his troops at Cold Harlxir and the unwilling- 
ness of his lieutenants to order the final attack conx-inced him 
that the men would not face the certain death that awaited 
them. As some other course had to be pursued, the most 

r. ' - ' 1:1 /j.^^ ^i^p . .. . , ^^^ south 

-*>' incomn. :i with his 

gunboats and could receive without danger supplies and am- 
munition * ■' ■": from \V. ' - '^' 'ossibility of such a 
move on .' .;i*s part <d by General Lee 
in 1862 and was the rational step in the circumstances. It is 
r • - « '' ••• "• •« - movement would have attracted the 
ft ■ but for several striking passages in 
General Lees telegrams that indicate ignorance of Grant's 

c^ ■ ' Imsc. T' - - .,-.<; ^rc three in number and are 

a' :rams l. i under date of June 16. Iax 

wrote: " I do not know ihc position of Grant's army and can- 



228 Lee's Dispatches 

than a small part of his Army has crossed the Chicka- 
hominy. Our contest last evening, as far as I am 
able to judge was with a heavy force of cavalry and 
the 5th corps of his army. They were driven back 
until dark as I informed you, by a part of Hill's 

not strip north bank of James River" (10:30 a.m.) ; "have not 
heard of Grant's crossing James River" (3 p.m.) and "has 
Grant been seen crossing James River?" (4 p.m., O. R., 51, 2, 
1078). These have been construed to mean that Lee had 
been duped and that Grant had achieved a remarkable coup. 
Some have gone so far as to say that in this, as in no single 
manoeuvre of the war, Grant had the better of his great ad- 
versary. A careful reading of dispatches in print prior to 
the appearance of this collection should have kept critical 
writers from such errors, though it might not have explained 
Lee's dispatches satisfactorily. The advance guard of the 
Army of the Potomac reached Wilcox's Landing on James 
River on the night of June 13 (O. R., 36, i, 23) and commenced 
crossing on the morning of June 14. A pontoon bridge was 
completed by midnight of the 14th, which enabled the whole 
army to move over rapidly. As General Lee wrote President 
Davis during the progress of the campaign from the Rapidan 
to the James, the nature of the country rendered it easy for 
Grant to get a day's start of him in any movement he planned. 
This Grant did on June 13-14 but he did no more. At 9 p.m., 
June 14, Lee reported that troops were at Wilcox's Landing, 
while Beauregard had already announced to the War Depart- 
ment, at 3:15 P.M., that steamers were coming up the river 
and that pontoons could be seen (O. R., 40, 2, 653). Hoke's 
division was forthwith ordered to re-enforce Beauregard (ibid., 
654). The next morning, June 15, at 9:30 a.m., Beauregard 
reported that musketry and artillery fire had been heard on 
the Southside, and he forwarded statements of prisoners that 
an advance was being made on Petersburg (ibid., 655). Even 
earlier, at 7:45 a.m., Beauregard had forwarded to General 
Lee, who did not receive it, the statement of a prisoner who 



Crossing the James 229 

corps. Presuming that this force was either the 
advance of his Army, or the cover behind which it 
would move to James River, I prepared to attack it 
again this morning, but it disappeared from before 
us during the night, and as far as we can judge from 

said that "he belongs to Hancock's corps (Second), and that 
it crossed day before yesterday and last night from Harrison's 
Landing" (O. R., 51, 2, 1078). At the head of Pickett's 
division, Lee reached Drewry's Bluff, on the south side of the 
James at 9:40 a.m., June 16, and immediately wired General 
Beauregard to advise him of conditions (O. R., 40, 3, 659). 
Beauregard followed with a request for information (O. R., 
51,2, 1078). Then was exchanged the correspondence already 
quoted on which has been based the claim that General Lee 
was ignorant of Grant's movement across the river. A care- 
ful scrutiny of Lee's statements, in the light of his known ac- 
quaintance with the whereabouts of Grant's advance on June 
14, would seem sufficient to refute the contention that he had 
been deceived. No man of his ability could have failed to 
understand the significance of Grant's movement to the river, 
especially as Lee had discussed, two years before, the possibil- 
ity of precisely such action on the part of McClellan. It 
would seem altogether reasonable, in the circumstances, to 
interpret his questions to Beauregard as answers to the latter's 
request for troops: Was Beauregard certain, when he asked 
for more men, that Grant had really crossed the river. Was 
Beauregard advised as to the exact location not of the advance 
or of troops that might have come up the James, but of 
Grant's army ? But if the Official Records cannot directly prove 
that Lee was not deceived by Grant's movement, the dis- 
patches here printed settle the question beyond a doubt. 
This dispatch of itself, written while the movement of Grant's 
army was in progress, makes it perfectly plain that Lee ex- 
pected Grant to cross the river. Three hours later (No. 126) 
he was certain that Grant was at least in a position to cross the 
river and he had dispatched Hoke for a like change of base 



230 Lee's Dispatches 

the statements of prisoners, it has gone to Harrison's 
landing. The force of cavalry here was pressed 
forward early this morning, but as yet no satisfactory 
information has been obtained. It may be Gen 
Grant's intention to place his army within the forti- 

whenever conditions warranted it. He confirmed this state- 
ment a little later (4 o'clock) and added that Grant had broken 
up his base at the White House (No. 127). The next after- 
noon, still lacking definite information, he determined further 
to reinforce Beauregard (No. 128) and to move to the exterior 
line of Richmond defences where he would be ready for de- 
velopments on either side of the river. That he did not send 
more troops to Beauregard was due to the latter's statement 
that with his original command, including Ransom's brigade, 
he believed he could hold Butler at bay and defend Petersburg. 
Lee also ordered a pontoon bridge thrown across the James for 
the movement of the entire army to face Grant if conditions 
called for it (No. 129). At 12:45 on the 15th, he was of 
opinion that Grant's plans did not "appear to be settled" as 
cavalry was active on the north side of the James, but he 
prepared for all eventualities (No. 130). On the morning of 
June 16, when he crossed the river, he promptly ordered 
troops to retake the lines which had been occupied by the 
enemy on Beauregard's withdrawal to defend Petersburg. 
He was only uncertain as to whether the troops facing Beau- 
regard in front of Petersburg were of Grant's army or of the 
forces that had originally confronted Beauregard (No. 134). 
The latter's brilliant defence of Petersburg and the strength 
of the forces in his front confirmed General Lee in his belief 
that the greater part of Grant's army had crossed the river 
and he advised General Hampton on June 17 (hour not given 
in the dispatch). It must be remembered, finally, that the 
removal of troops from the White House to join the army on 
the James had further involved the issue and rendered it 
somewhat uncertain, on June 16, whether the new forces in 
front of Beauregard were a part of Grant's army from across 



Crossing the James 231 

fications around Harrison's landing, which I believe 
still stand, and where by the aid of his gunboats, he 
could offer a strong defence. I do not think it would 
be advantageous to attack him in that position. 
He could then either refresh it or transfer it to the 
other side of the River without our being able to 
molest it, unless our ironclads are stronger than his. 
It is reported by some of our scouts that a portion 
of his troops marched to the White House, and from 
information derived from citizens, were there em- 
barked.^ I thought it probable that these might 
have been their discharged men, especially as a 
scout reported under date of the 9th inst : that trans- 
ports loaded with troops have been going up the 
Potomac for three days and nights, passing above 
Alexandria. On the night of the 8th, upwards of 
thirty steamers went up, supposed to be filled with 
troops, no doubt many of these were wounded and 
sick men. Still I apprehend that he may be sending 
troops up the James River with the view of getting 
possession of Petersburg before we can reinforce it. 
We ought therefore to be extremely watchful & 

the river or were troops who had come up the James by trans- 
ports. We may conclude with absolute certainty that General 
Lee anticipated the movement across the James, prepared 
for it and was no more uncertain as to the precise time of 
crossing than the nature of the ground and the limitations on 
his sources of information made inevitable. Viewed in its 
true light, the transfer of Grant's army across the river was 
met as promptly and as forcefully as the weakness of Lee's 
forces permitted. 

^ To pass down the York and up the James to rejoin Grant. 



232 Lee's Dispatches 

guarded. Unless I hear something satisfactory by 
evening, I shall move Hoke's division back to the 
vicinity of the Ponton Bridge across James River 
in order that he may cross if necessary. The rest of 
the army can follow should circumstances require it. 
The victories of Forest and Hampton are very 
grateful at this time, and show that we are not for- 
saken by a gracious Providence. We have only to 
do our whole duty, and everything will be well. A 
scout in Prince William reports that the enemy are 
rebuilding the bridges on the O & A R. R."^ adjacent 
to Alexandria. This may be with the view of open- 
ing the Manassas Gap R R to communicate with 
the Valley, their tenure of which I trust will not be 

permanent. 

Most respectfully 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 126. 

H^Q^^ AN Va. 
3^ P.M. 14th June 1864. 
His Excy Jeff"" Davis 

President C. States 
Mr. President 

As far as I can judge from the information I 
have received, Gen. Grant has moved his army 
to James River in the vicinity of Westover. A por- 
tion of it I am told moved to Wilcox's landing, a 

'' The Orange and Alexandria, now a part of the Southern 
railway. 



Crossing the James 233 

short distance below. I see no indications of his 
attacking me on this side of the River, though of 
course I cannot know positively. As his facilities 
for crossing the River and taking possession of Peters- 
burg are great, and as I think it will more probably 
be his plan, I have sent Gen Hoke with his command 
to a point above Drewry's Bluff in easy distance of 
the first Pontoon Bridge above that place. He will 
execute any orders You may send to him there. ^ 
I cannot judge now whether he should move at once 
to the other side of the River, but think it prudent 
that he should be in position to do so when required. 
From my present information Gen. Grant crossed 
his army at several points below Long Bridge,^ and 
moved directly towards James River, sending a force 
in this direction to guard the roads so as to make it 
impracticable for us to reach him. 
Very respectfully 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

' See Bragg to Beauregard, June 14, 1864 (O. R., i, 40, 
2, 653), Hoke to Beauregard, June 14, 1864 (ibid., 654). 
Beauregard, on June 7, had requested the return of this and 
of Ransom's division, with these significant words: "Should 
Grant have left Lee's front, he doubtless intends operations 
along James River, probably on south side. Petersburg being 
nearly defenseless would be captured before it could be re- 
enforced." Two days later Beauregard enlarged on the 
prospect of Grant's crossing the river and outlined a plan 
of defence (O. R., 36, 878-879, 886). 

^ On the Chickahominy, beyond the outer defences of 
Richmond. 



234 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 127. 

Head Qv^s. A N Va 
June 14th 1864. 4 P.M. 

Gen Braxton Bragg 

Comg. Armies C. States 
Gen. 

I have directed Gen Hoke's command to proceed 
this afternoon to the vicinity of the first pontoon 
bridge above Drewry's Bluff — ^ I have deemed it 
prudent that he should be within reach of Petersburg. 
For as far as I am able to judge of the move- 
ments of the Army of Gen Grant I think it probable 
that he will cross James River. He has moved his 
Army across Long Bridge & the bridges below that 
point to James River apparently striking for Harri- 
son's & Wilcox's landing. "" He shows no indication 
of operating on this side & has broken up his depot 
at the White House.^ 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

^ Drewry's Bluff, with the famous Fort Darling, was at the 
southwestern end of the Richmond defences, across James 
River and was defended with strong works against an attack 
from the south or west. It effectually blocked a movement 
up the James River against Richmond. 

^ On the James almost directly east of Petersburg. 

3 On the Pamunkey, one of the most important lines of 
water-communication for an attack on Richmond from the 



Crossing the James 235 

No. 128. 

H^Q'^^ Army N Va. 
12:20 P.M. 15th June 1864. 

General, 

Your letter of 8.45 A.M. enclosing various dispatches 
from Gen Beauregard, is just received.^ I directed 
Gen Hoke this morning, unless he should receive 
contrary orders from you, to cross the James River 
and report to Gen. Beauregard. I had a visit this 
morning from Col [Samuel R.] Paul aid de camp of 
Gen Beauregard, who stated among other things 

east. With the correspondence for June 14. is filed in the 
De Renne collection the following dispatch from General 
Lee's son, G. W. C. Lee, to President Davis: 

Dated Bottoms Bridge 13 June 1864. 

Reed at Richmond June 13, 1864. 
To His Excellency the President 

I learn that Maj-Genl Elzy and staff are in Richmond 
Cannot he be temporarily assigned to his former command. 
He can take charge at once, some one is very much needed 

G W C Lee 
Col. & A D C 

^ Not found. Between the time of this and the previous 
letter to General Bragg, important developments had taken 
place. Smith's corps of Grant's army, one of the first across 
the James, had moved towards Petersburg on the night of 
the 14-15 and was preparing to assault. Fortunately for the 
Confederates, however. Smith delayed doing so and did not 
advance on the poorly-manned works until about sundown 
(see Grant's report, O. R., 36, i, 25). Smith's attack was 
met with valor by Wise's brigade. With the arrival of Federal 



236 Lee's Dispatches 

that the General was of opinion that if he had his 
original force, he would be able to hold his present 
lines in front of Gen Butler and at Petersburg. He 
is however particularly anxious to have Ransom's 
brigade, which I believe is now at Chafin's Bluff, and 
I doubt whether he will be satisfied or consider him- 
self strong enough until he is ordered to him.^ I 
think therefore it had better be done. If Grade's 
brigade cannot be returned to that place, perhaps the 
locals under Gen Custis Lee might be able to hold it. 
But as long as this army remains in its front, I will 
endeavor to make it safe. I had determined to move 
this army back near the exterior line of defences near 
Richmond, but from the movements of the enemy's 
cavalry this morning, and reports that have reached 
me, I do not wish to draw too far back. Unless there- 
fore I am better satisfied, I shall remain where I am 
to-day, as the enemy's plans do not seem to be settled.^ 



re-enforcements, General Beauregard was forced to abandon 
his line at Bermuda Hundred Neck and to rush all his troops 
to Petersburg. 

^ General Lee could not be certain at this time whether 
Grant's whole army, the vanguard or troops that had come up 
the James were moving against Beauregard and could not 
accordingly afford to strip the Richmond defences. His first 
accurate information of the nature of the Federal troops before 
Petersburg came in a dispatch from Beauregard dated 1 1 : 45 
A.M. (O. R., 40, 2, 656). 

^ At 6: 00 P.M. General Lee telegraphed more in detail that 
the enemy's cavalry had been seen that morning on the Salem 
Church Road and at Malvern Hill, and that it had been driven 
down the river road. 



Crossing the James 237 

I am much grieved to hear of the death of Lt. 
Gen. Polk. 4 

Very respectfully 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 



General Bragg 

&C&C 



Genl 



No. 129. 

H'^Q'^^ Army N Va. 

I2>^ P.M. 15th June 1864. 
General, 

I directed Col Stevens' this morning to throw a 
ponton bridge across the river at Chafin's Bluff, for 
which he thought he had, or could obtain sufficient ma- 
terial I do not think it would be well to remove the 
Ponton Bridge now at Drewry's Bluff, and if we can 
only maintain one across that part of the river, that 
at Drewry's would be more generally advantageous. 

A bridge below Chafin's Bluff would be more 
exposed to the enemy's gunboats and would prevent 
free access of our own to the batteries at Chafin's.^ 
Very respy 

Your obt servt 

General Bragg R. E. Lee 
&C&C Genl. 

4 Leonidas Polk, Protestant Episcopal bishop of Louisiana 
and Lieut.-Gen. P. A. C. S., killed near Marietta, Georgia, 
June 14, 1864. 

' Colonel Walter H. Stevens, chief engineer, Army of 
Northern Virginia. 

== The James River at Drewry's Bluff makes a sharp turn 



238 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 130. 

H^Q^^ Army N Va. 
12^ P.M. 15th June 1864. 

His Excellency Jeff"" Davis 

President C. States, 
Richmond 
Mr. President, 

As I informed you last evening I had intended 
to move the troops nearer the exterior lines of 
defences around Richmond, but from the move- 
ments of the enemy's cavalry and the reports that 
have reached me this morning, his plans do not 
appear to be settled. Unless therefore I hear some- 
thing more satisfactory, they will remain where they 
are. " Should I move my camp, it will be somewhere 
on Cornelius Creek in the cleanest wood I can find 
near the New Market Road or Osborne Turnpike.^ 
Most respy 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

almost east. At the point where it turns southeast again is 
Chafin's Bluff. Below the latter point, the Confederates had 
no works except those for the protection of the fort. 

^ The presence of cavalry on the north side of the river, 
(see No. 128, supra) had raised some question in General 
Lee's mind as to how much of Grant's army had crossed, 
although he knew that the movement was in progress. It 
would manifestly have been foolish to leave the Richmond 
defences open to a cavalry raid or to a strong column on the 
north side of the river. 

^ Cornelius Creek ran southwesterly into the James River 



Crossing the James 239 

No. 131. 

Ridley's Shop 
Charles City Road 
6:50 P.M. 15th June. [1864] 
Mr. President, 

Your note of i : 20 p.m. to-day has just been re- 
ceived.' As soon as I heard of the enemy's crossing 
the Chickahominy at Long Bridge I moved Heth's 
division across the river^ to White Oak Swamp 
bridge, and prepared the other troops for motion. 
Our skirmishers at dayHght were moved forward, 
and finding no enemy in front of our Hnes for be- 
tween one and two miles were recalled, and the army 
moved over the Chickahominy. Gen Heth's divn 
holds the White Oak Swamp bridge, the rest of Hill's 
corps is at Ridley's Shop^ at the intersection of the 
Long Bridge and Charles City roads. Longstreet's 
corps is to his right on the Long Bridge Road, and 
Hoke's division at the intersection of the Darby 
Town and Long Bridge roads. Our cavalry occupy 
the Willis Church road and Malvern Hill.* The 
only enemy we have yet seen is that that has come 
up from the Long Bridge, and is opposed to Gen Heth 

just above Drewry's BlufE. The Osborne turnpike and the 
New Market road paralleled the James at this point and 
crossed the creek about a mile apart. Substantial works 
were located at this point, about five miles from Richmond. 

^ Not found. ^ That is, the Chickahominy. 

3 Given on the maps as "B Shop," — blacksmith's shop. 
In rural Virginia the "shop" is traditionally a smithy. 

'' The forces north of the James were thus lying in a north- 
east-southwest line pointing toward the river at Dutch Gap. 



240 Lee's Dispatches 

at White Oak Swamp bridge and extends to this 
point We have driven him from this position down 
the Long Bridge Road, but I have not yet heard that 
White Oak Swamp Bridge is uncovered Gen 
Early was in motion this morning at 3 o'clock & by 
daylight was clear of our camps. He proceeded on the 
mountain road direct to Charlottesville, and arrange- 
ments have been made to give him 15 days supplies. 
If you think it better to recall him, please send a 
trusty messenger to overtake him to-night I do 
not know that the necessity for his presence to-day 
is greater than it was yesterday. His troops would 
make us more secure here, but success in the Valley 
would relieve our difficulties that at present press 
heavily upon us.^ As I write, Wilcox's division is 
pressing the enemy down the Long Bridge Road. 
Most respectfully 

Yotir obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 132. 

H°Q^' 7:50 P.M. 
Riddle's Shop 15th June. [1864] 
Mr. President, 

I omitted to mention in my note just written the 
importance of warning our papers not to allude even 

5 After being dispatched to meet and drive back Hunter, 
Early was instructed to move down the Valley, to cross the 
Potomac and to threaten Washington. This movement, it 
was hoped, would relieve the Valley and might possibly lessen 
the pressure on Richmond. 



Crossing the James 241 

by implication to the movements of our troops. I 
have just learned that the correspondent of the 
Inquirer^ is aware of Gen. Early's movements but 
had written to his paper not to publish it. As 
secrecy is an important element of Gen. Early's 
expedition, I beg that your Excellency will cause 
notice to be sent to all the newspapers not to allude 
to any movement, by insinuation or otherwise. Of 
course it will not do to particularize that move- 
ment, as it may not be known I think it would 
be well to charge the Telegraph operators not to 
forward a dispatch referring in any way to Army 
movements.^ 

Very respy 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Gl. 

' The Richmond Inquirer, the ante-bellum "democratic 
Bible of the South," founded by Thomas Ritchie, edited by 
him, continued by his nephews and edited for a time by O. 
Jennings Wise, son of Governor Henry A, Wise of Virginia. 
Ritchie's biography has been written by C. M. Ambler 
(Richmond, 1913). 

^ The frequent references in General Lee's dispatches to 
the intelligences procured from the New York and Philadel- 
phia papers will show how valuable to either side were the 
newspapers of the other. The Richmond press was as dili- 
gently sought after by the Federals as were the Northern papers 
by the Confederates. The Richmond press, at this time, 
was conservative with the exception of the Examiner, edited 
by the radical John M. Daniel, an earnest opponent of the 
administration. The Federals appear, however, to have 
used the Dispatch most frequently to study Confederate 
movements. Cf. Lee to Davis, July i, 1864, infra. 
16 



242 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 133. 

8:20 P.M. 15 June '64. 
M'' President 

I have just rec** your note of to-day — ^ I directed 
Ransoms brigade this afternoon, if no contrary 
orders had been rec"^ — , to report to Genl. Beaure- 
gard,^ & replaced it for the night by one of Long- 
street's — Genl G. W. C. Lee will repair to Chafins 
tomorrow at 3 a.m. with a portion of his command, 
leaving the Va: reserves to support the batteries 
at Bottoms bridge — 

I am much grieved at the death of Genl Polk. I 
am unable to recommend a successor — ^As much as 
I esteem & admire Genl Pendleton, I could not 
select him to command a corps in this army. I do 
not mean to say by that he is not competent, but 
from what I have seen of him, I do not know that 
he is — ^ I can spare him, if in your good judgment, 
you decide he is the best available. I know nothing 
of the character of those officers you designate. As 
far as I do know some, I should think they would 

' Not found. 

^ Cooper ordered the brigade forward from Chaffin's to 
Beauregard in all haste (0. R., 40, 2, 658). 

3 The reference is to Brig.-Genl. W. N. Pendleton, chief of 
artillery, A. N. Va. Nothing could better illustrate General 
Lee's absolute candor than this frank unwillingness to recom- 
mend Pendleton. The latter, a minister of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church, was one of General Lee's personal friends 
and later was his rector at Lexington. Yet because he had 
no proof of Pendleton's qualifications for the higher place 
General Lee would not recommend him. 



The Siege of Petersburg 243 

not answer. Major Genl vStewart I do not know — "* 
I regret I am unable to aid you, for I know the 
importance of selecting a proper officer. 

Only the enemys Cav^, opposed us today & they 
were driven back on all the roads — If Genl Johnston 
would like Genl EwelP I would spare him. My own 
opinion is that Genl E s health is unequal to his 
duties, but he does not agree with me — Johnston 
knows & likes him, & I do the same. 

Most truly & respy yours 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
His Excy Jeff'^ Davis 

President. 

No. 134. 

Head Qurs A. N. Va. 

Drewry Bluff 7>^ p.m. 

1 6th June 1864 
His Excy Jeff"" Davis 

President Confed: States 
Mr. President, 

I received this morning at 2 a.m. a dispatch from 
Genl. Beauregard, stating that he had abandoned 

"^ Alexander P. Stewart of Tennessee, familiarly known to 
his men as "old straight," a West Pointer of the class of 1842 
and room-mate of John Pope and J. E. B. Stuart. His mili- 
tary record was excellent and his achievements at Murfrees- 
boro, Chickamauga and elsewhere had won him praise. He 
was given the promotion and was commissioned lieutenant- 
general, June 23, 1864 (C. M. H., i, 693-95). 

5 Lieutenant-General Richard S. Ewell, one of Lee's corps 
commanders and an able fighter. General Ewell's health 



244 Lee's Dispatches 

his line on Bermuda Neck and would concentrate all 
his force on Petersburg. He also said that his skir- 
mishers and pickets would be withdrawn at daylight. ' 
I immediately ordered General Pickett's division 
to proceed across James River and occupy the lines, 
directing Genl. Anderson to move another division 
to the River and proceed in person to Bermuda and 
take direction of affairs. I requested Genl. Beau- 
regard not to withdraw his skirmishers and pickets 
until the arrival of those troops, though I feared 
from the lateness of the hour that he would not 
receive my message in time. Genl. Anderson's 
troops were in the vicinity of Malvern Hill, and it 
was 9 o'clock a.m. to-day before the division crossed 
the river at Drewry's Bluff. One brigade with 
Genl's Anderson & Pickett at its head preceded the 
division more than an hour ; but before it could reach 
the lines, they had been occupied by the enemy, who 
advanced a force as far as the Petersburg Turnpike. 
On learning this condition of affairs, I ordered over 
a second division to the support of the first, and a 
third to the vicinity of the bridge. The enemy was 
easily driven back, and General Anderson soon 
regained our second line of entrenchments. At last 
accounts the enemy in force occupied our first line, 

had been so much impaired by hardship and wounds that he 
could not share actively in the campaign. He was assigned, 
shortly after the date of this, to the command of the Richmond 
defences and did not rejoin General Lee until the evacuation 
of Richmond. For fuller details see infra, No. 139, note 8. 

' Doubtless Beauregard to Lee, June 15, 1864, 11:15 P-M. 
(O. R., 40, 2, 657). 



The Siege of Petersburg 245 

extending from Hewlett's house on the river by Ware 
Bottom Church, from which I fear it will be difficult 
and costly to dislodge him. I have not learned from 
Genl Beauregard what force is opposed to him in 
Petersburg, or received any definite account of oper- 
ations there, nor have I been able to learn whether 
any portion of Grant's Army is opposed to him. 
Taking advantage of his occupation of the Bluff at 
Hewlett's house the enemy brought up five vessels 
and prepared to sink them in Trent's Reach. Two 
had been sunk with Torpedoes in their bows when 
the officer who reported it to Captain Pegram left. 
I suppose the object is to prevent our gunboats from 
descending the river. 

A dispatch just received from General Beauregard 
states that he countermanded the order for the with- 
drawal of his pickets and skirmishers, and that they 
occupied our second line at 10^ A M to-day, but 
that they were afterwards forced to retire upon 
Petersburg.'' 

I am with great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

^ Not found. The movement here reported was one of the 
greatest importance to the army and, indeed, to the Con- 
federate cause. When Beauregard was forced to abandon 
the Bermuda Hundred line, in his efforts to save Petersburg, 
he thereby opened the mouth of the "bottle" in which Butler 
had been sealed, and thus enabled the Federal commander to 
advance his lines and to recapture the railroad from which 
he had been driven in May. This meant the practical sever- 



246 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 135. 

Head Qrs Drewry's Bluff 
16 June 1864. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 

President Richmond 
Mr. President 

For some few days back we have been only able to 
get sufficient corn for our animals from day to day — 
Any accident to the railroads would cut short our 
supplies. I directed Col Corley ' to make this repre- 
sentation to the Qr Mr Genl to-day : he has returned 
& says Genl Lawton^ is doing everything he can, 
but cannot provide more than about 2000 bushels 
per day. We require 3200 bushels daily for all our 

ance of the Confederate line of communications between 
Richmond and Petersburg and the isolation of Beauregard's 
command. Realizing the importance of this line, Lee took 
the offensive and regained it. In the meantime, Beauregard 
with a small force had been fighting the Federals in front of 
Petersburg with splendid courage. From June 15 to June 
18, Beauregard's little force held at bay a Federal army thrice 
its size and prevented the capture of Petersburg. Not until 
Lee's army had driven back Butler and had passed beyond 
him to Beauregard, was Petersburg safe. General Beauregard 
has never been given the credit he deserved for his masterly 
defence of Petersburg at a time when the fall of that city 
would have meant the separation of Lee from his lines of 
communication with the South. 

^ Colonel James L. Corley, quartermaster-general, Army of 
Northern Virginia. 

^ Brigadier-General A. R. Lawton, previously mentioned, 
quartermaster-general of the Confederate States army and 
formerly brigade commander in Lee's army. 



The Siege of Petersburg 247 

animals — I think it is clear that the railroads are 
not working energetically & unless some improvement 
is made, I do not know what will become of us — I 
am therefore obliged to appeal to your Excellency 
as reluctant as I am to trespass upon your time & 
attention. I beg that every exertion may be made, 
not only to supply our daily wants, but to lay up 
something for future use — Our existence depends 
upon every ones exerting themselves at this time 
to the utmost — ^ 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 136. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) Head Qrs Army N. Va. 

June 17 th 1864. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon, 

Secy, of War, 
Sir, 

Genl. Beauregard telegraphs that last night the 
enemy assaulted his lines twice and were repulsed, 

3 This dispatch, it will be observed, is somewhat more blunt 
in its phrases than most of those from General Lee's pen. 
His request was doomed to be repeated again and again 
during the remaining months of the war and went unheeded 
far more frequently than it was granted. The days of 
starvation were already upon the army. 



248 Lee's Dispatches 

leaving 400 prisoners, including eleven commis- 
sioned officers, in our hands.' To-day the enemy 
carried a weak point in his lines. Our troops as- 
saulted and carried our original lines near Bermuda 
Hundreds with slight loss on our part.'' 

Very respectfully 
Your obdt servt 
(Signed) R E Lee 

Genl 

Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

James A. Seddon 
Secretary of War. 
June 18/64. 

[Endorsed] 

Copy Telegram to Sec War 

Genl Lee Hd Qrs A N V June 17, 64 
June 18/64 



^ This information was already in the hands of the War 
Department. See Beauregard to Bragg, June 16, 1864, 9:45 
p.M.(0. R., 40, 2, 660). 

^ Cf. Lee to Davis, June 17, 1864, 10:30 a.m., in which 
these movements are explained more in detail (O. R., loc, 
cit., 661-62). The operations of June 17 practically re- 
stored the Confederate army to the strategic positions it 
had occupied south of the James before Grant moved his 
base. Within a few days the lines were drawn around 
Petersburg and were not materially changed until that city 
was evacuated. 



The Siege of Petersburg 249 

No. 137. 
Confidential. 

Head Q"^^ A N Va., 

June 1 8th 1864. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 

President Confed. States 
M"" President 

From information received last night it is pretty- 
certain that Grant's whole force has crossed to the 
South Side of the James River — Wilson's division 
of cavalry crossed yesterday. I have ordered all 
the troops over towards Petersburg leaving the outer 
defences of Richmond in charge of Gen G. W. C. 
Lee to whom I have ordered Col. Gary's command 
and several light batteries to report — Gen W"" F. 
Lee I have ordered to Petersburg with Barringer's 
N. C. brigade' leaving Chambliss'' to cooperate with 
Hampton if practicable in striking at Sheridan who 
is apparently making for the White House. If he 
cannot cooperate with Hampton I have ordered 
him to follow Gen. W" F Lee to Petersburg.^ Gen 
Hampton will continue to watch Sheridan and en- 
deavour to strike at him but if the latter escapes & 
takes transport at the White House Hampton is 

^ Rufus Barringer, of North Carolina, commanding the ist, 
2nd, 3rd and 5th N. C. cavalry. 

^ John R. Chambliss of Virginia, in command of W. H. F. 
Lee's old cavalry brigade. 

3 Cf. R. E. Lee to W. H. F. Lee, June 17, 1864 (O. R., 40, 
2, 663). 



250 Lee's Dispatches 

ordered to move as rapidly as possible for Petersburg/ 
The enemy having transferred Wilsons division of 
Cavy to the S. Side obliges me to call over Genl 
W. F. Lee— ^ 

Most respy your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
I go to Petersburg 
REL 

No. 138. 

Head Qurs Army No. Va. 
NEAR Petersburg Va. 
June 19th 1864. 
His Excellency Jefferson Davis 

President Confed. States 
Mr. President 

I have received your letter of the 1 8th ^ I was 
able to leave with General G. W. C. Lee only the 

'' Cf. Lee to Wade Hampton, June 18, 1864: "If Sheridan 
escapes and gets to his transports at the White House you 
must lose no time in moving your entire command to our right 
near Petersburg. Keep yourself thoroughly advised of his 
movements and intentions as far as practicable" (O. R., 40, 
2, 667). Correspondence with the cavalry officers is frequent 
in the Official Records, for this time {loc. cit.). 

5 These were the troops whose activities on the north side 
of the river, after Grant's main army had crossed, raised 
whatever doubts there may have been in General Lee's mind 
as to the extent to which Grant had transferred his forces to 
the south side of the river. Richmond's northern defences 
were now left in the hands of the local forces, composed largely 
of department clerks, with small details from the main army. 

' Not found. 



The Siege of Petersburg 251 

forces which belong to Richmond. I placed at his 
disposal two battalions of artillery under Colonel 
Carter in addition to what he originally had, which 
I thought might be advantageously employed in 
connection with [M. M?] Gary's cavalry and such 
infantry support as General Lee could furnish, in 
operating on the James River against any parties 
that might be landed, or in embarrassing its naviga- 
tion. I wished him to display as much force as 
possible, and to be active and vigilant in warding off 
any threatened blow. His^ force is not more than 
sufficient for this purpose, but if we can get early 
intelligence, and especially maintain the road from 
Petersburg to Richmond in running order, I think 
we shall be able to meet any attack the enemy may 
make upon the latter place. Night before last he 
apparently reduced the force on his lines in front of 
Bermuda Hundred, and from the reports received 
during the night, matters seemed to be so threatening 
in Petersburg, that I directed General Anderson to 

== Cf. R. E. Lee to G. W. C. Lee, June 21, 1864: "... You 
must judge of the essential points to hold in order to thwart 
the enemy in his approach to Richmond. Whatever opera- 
tions you may decide upon I advise that you use all your 
available force for the purpose. I should hope your force 
with Carter's artillery could drive the enemy back." The 
combination of fatherly exhortation and military command 
in this correspondence with General Custis Lee is striking. 
Custis Lee, the great commander's oldest son, had for some 
time been with the President in Richmond and showed, per- 
haps, some misgivings when thus summoned into the field. His 
conduct, however, was such as to elicit "the highest praise" 
(see O. R., 40, 2, 674). 



252 Lee's Dispatches 

march at once with Kershaw's and Field's divisions, 
Pickett's division being left to guard our lines from 
Howlett's to Ashton Creek. I halted one division 
of Hill's on the north side of the Appomattox, in 
supporting distance of both places. General Beau- 
regard had felt constrained to contract his lines on 
the east side of Petersburg before my arrival, and 
I found his troops in their new position. I am un- 
able to judge of the comparative strength of the two 
lines, but as far as I can see, the only disadvantage 
is the proximity of the new line to the city.^ No 
attack has been made by the enemy since my arrival, 
though sharp skirmishing and cannonading has been 
kept up. My greatest apprehension at present is 
the maintenance of our communications south. It 
will be difficult, and I fear impracticable to preserve 
it uninterrupted. The enemy's left now rests on the 
Jerusalem road, and I fear it would be impossible 
to arrest a sudden attack aimed at a distant point. 
In addition, the enemy's cavalry, in spite of all our 
efforts, can burn the bridges over the Nottoway and 
its branches, the Meherrin & even the South side 
road is very much exposed, and our only dependence 

^ The new line was described by Beauregard as follows : 
"General Hoke's line, commencing at the river and in advance 
of Taylor's Creek, will follow the ditch behind the race-course, 
afterward crossing the creek and joining General Johnson's 
left toward the Baxter road. General Johnson's line will 
cross the Baxter road nearly at right angles, thence running 
to the Jerusalem plank road, and from that point following 
the original lines" (O. R., loc. cit., 666). This became a part 
of the main line during the siege of Petersburg. 



The Siege of Petersburg 253 

seems to me to be on the Danville. Every effort 
should be made to secure to that road sufficient rolling 
stock by transferring that of other roads, and to 
accumulate supplies of all kinds in Richmond in anti- 
cipation of temporary interruptions. When roads 
are broken every aid should be given to the companies 
to enable them to restore them immediately. Dupli- 
cate timbers for all the bridges should be prepared 
in safe places to be used in an emergency, and every 
other arrangement made to keep the roads in running 
order."* 

Most respectfully and truly yours 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



No. 139. 

Petersburg 21 June '64. 

M*" President 

I have rec*^ your letter of the 20*^ Inst: enclosing 
one from the Pres: of the Petersburg & Richmond 
R.R. ' It is stated the road will be in operation this 



4 Cf. Lee to Seddon, June 21, 1864 (O. R., loc. cit., 671-72) 
in which Lee urges that the Danville, Piedmont and South- 
side railroads "be well stocked with the rolling-stock and 
materials not so essential to us" and also that these roads be 
guarded. For this purpose, he suggested the appointment 
of a competent brigadier-general to assume charge of the 3,000 
reserves whom General Pickett had for the work. 

' Not found.' 



254 Lee's Dispatches 

mor^ ^ — Genl Grant will concentrate all the troops 
here he can raise, from every section of the U. S. I 
saw it stated some days since in one of their papers. 
That A. T. Smith's corps, which had returned from 
the Red River, had embarked at Vicksburg in a 
number of transports & ascended the Miss^' — I 
have not heard of it since. Its destination may 
have been Memphis. I hope Early will be able to 
demolish Hunter,^ but I doubt whether Hampton 
will be able to injure Sheridan. His force is small 
in comparison with the enemy's & he seems to be 
looking to reinforcements more than to what he can 
accomplish himself."* I hope your Exc^' will put no 
reliance in what I can do individually, for I feel that 
will be very little. The enemy has a strong position, 
& is able to deal us more injury than from any other 
point he has ever taken. Still we must try & defeat 
them. I fear he will not attack us but advance by 
regular approaches. He is so situated that I cannot 



' Lee, at midnight, June i6, notified the President of the 
Richmond and Petersburg railroad that Butler had burned 
"about one-half mile of the railroad below Walthall Junction" 
and urged him to repair the track "as soon as it is practicable" 
(O. R., 40. 2, 660). 

^ Hunter escaped ; Early promptly moved up the 
Valley. 

'' Hampton, it will be recalled, was moving against Sheridan, 
whose cavalry still remained on the north side of the James. 
For Hampton's view of his situation, see his letters to Bragg 
(June 20, 1864; O. R., loc. cit., 669-670). For Lee's con- 
gratulations to Hampton upon the success of his movement, 
see 0. R., 36, 3, p. 903. 



The Siege of Petersburg 255 

attack him.^ The battery at Hewlett's will open 
to-day at 12 m — The Navy & G. W. C. Lee cooperat- 
ing as far as they can — I very much regret to learn 
that my reply to your confidential note has not 
reached you — It was sent the night I rec'^ it by the 
messenger (one of Genl Bragg's I think) who brought 
your note.^ I stated that notwithstanding my 
esteem & admiration for Genl. Pendleton — his truth- 
fulness, sincerity & devotion to the country, I had 
never thought of recommd^ him for the command of 
a corps in this army. You must not understand 
that I think him incapable for such a command, but 
I had never seen anything that caused me to select 
him, & therefore was unable to recommend him. I 
can spare him if you think he is the best available. 
I do not know the officers in Genl J's army whom 
you enumerate. Genl Stuart may be the best.'^ 
Genl Johnston had a high opinion of Genl Ewell & I 
can bear testimony to his soldierly quaHties. But I 
think his health & nervous system has been shaken 
by his great injury & though active & attentive that 

5 This is the first reference in this correspondence to the 
probable outcome of the campaign, — the first time Lee ad- 
mitted that he could not expect victory. It is needless to 
point out that the strategy he here anticipated on the part of 
General Grant is that which the Federal commander pursued 
until the capture at Petersburg. Beaten or driven back in 
every assault, he advanced to victory "by regular ap- 
proaches." 

^ The note from Davis not found; Lee's reply (June 15, 
1864, 8: 20 p.m) is printed supra, no. 133. 

7 A. P. Stewart, see note to dispatch of June 15, 1864, 8: 20 

P.M. 



256 Lee's Dispatches 

he cannot without breaking himself down undergo 
the arduous duties of a Corps Commd' I can spare 
him if Genl Johnston desires.^ I should think he 

* Lieut. -General R. S. Ewell, long commander of the Second 
(Jackson's) Corps. At Groveton, Va., in the engagement of 
August 28, 1862, Ewell was so severely wounded that his leg 
had to be amputated. Continuing in the service he was, on 
May 19, 1864, badly injured when his horse was shot. There- 
after he was disabled for field duty (C. M. H., i, 677-78). 
Ewell protested on June i, 1864, against invalidism. He wrote 
(O. R., 36, 3, 863): "The opinion of my medical attendant, 
Dr. McGuire, and that of myself, is that I am as able for duty 
today as at any time since the campaign commenced. I am 
unwilling to be idle in this crisis, and, with the permission of 
the commanding general, I would prefer to remain with this 
army until circumstances may admit of my being replaced in 
command of my corps." On June 4, however, General Lee 
thought it necessary for General Ewell's health to give him 
rest and consequently placed Early in command of the corps 
(ibid., 873). Writing of General Ewell on June 12 {ibid., 
897-98) General Lee, in typical phrases said: "During the 
late movements of the army, the condition of General Ewell's 
health rendered it proper that he should be relieved tempo- 
rarily from the command of his corps. Although now restored 
to his usual health, I think the labor and exposure to which he 
would be inevitably exposed would at this time again incapaci- 
tate him for field service. The general, who has all the feelings 
of a good soldier, differs from me in this opinion, and is not 
only willing but anxious to resume his command. I, however, 
think in the present emergency it would jeopardize his life; 
and should his strength fail, it would prove disadvantageous 
to the service. I, therefore, propose that he be placed on some 
duty attended with less labor and exposure. " And he recom- 
mends Ewell for the place to which he was immediately ap- 
pointed, — that of commander of the Richmond defences. 
Here Ewell remained until he joined his old chieftain on the 



The Siege of Petersburg 257 

would require a commander at once as I understand 
Genl Loring is the Senior present.^ 

Praying that you may enjoy all health & happiness. 
I remain most resp^ & truly 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
His Excy Jeff"" Davis 
Pres: C. States. 

No. 140. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, June 21, 1864. 
By telegraph from Petersburg 21 
To His Excellency, Jeffn. Davis, 

I left Lt. Col. Williams' engineer, in charge of 
battery at Howletts. He should have been there. 
I will order an officer there to-night. 
24/480 R. E. Lee 

[Endorsed] 
Telegram 

Genl. Lee 

Petersburg 

June 21/64. 
June 22/64. 

retreat toward Appomattox. He was captured before the 
surrender. 

' W. W. Loring of Florida, a native of North Carolina, 
major-general, P. A. C. S. Loring is especially remembered 
for his services in Egypt after the war. 

^ Lieut. -Col. John A. Williams, engineer corps. 
17 



258 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 141. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Rd. June 25, 1864. 
By Telegraph from Hancock's 25 To Genl. Hampton 
7 A.M. Care Genl. Bragg. 

For want of cavalry our Railroad communications 
south have been cut. If you cannot engage Sheridan 
to advantage he can be watched with a smaller force. 
Send to me Chambliss Brigade and any other Brigade 
which can be spared.' 

R. E. Lee. 
39/780 Hancocks June 25th. 64. W. 

[Endorsed] 

For want of Cavalry our R. R. communications 
South are cut. If you cannot engage Sheridan with 
advantage Send me Chambliss Brig. & any other 
Brigades that can be spared. 

R. B. 1296. 
Sent to Genl Custis Lee to be forwarded to Genl. 
Hampton. 

Reed. June 25th. 64. 

' General Hampton's report of his operations prior to the 
receipt of this telegram will be found in 0. R., 36, i, 1095^; 
his movements after this date are recorded in his report in 
O. R., 40, I, Soyff. The operations described were really 
the first offensive action taken by Grant after he had brought 
his troops into works before Petersburg. On June 21 Grant 
had dispatched the 2nd and 6th corps to the south to assail 
General Lee's right flank below Petersburg. This advance 



The Siege of Petersburg 259 

No. 142. 

WQ^' A N Va. 
26th June 1864. 

His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Presd* C. States 

Mr President, 

I have had the honor to receive today your 
letter of the 24th enclosing, me some letters said 
to have been written by Maj. Ward/ I hope the 
accounts he gives of the sufferings of the citizens 
of Northern Neck and the South Side of the Rappa- 
hannock are exaggerated, though I fear there is much 
truth in his statements, and can imagine that great 
atrocities have been perpetrated upon our unfor- 

was promptly met and driven back by three brigades of Hill's 
corps, directed by General Lee himself, who happened to be on 
that part of the line at the time. The attack was renewed by 
the Sixth Corps on June 22, with the support of Wilson's 
cavalry — that troublesome body which had hung on Lee 
north of the James. The cavalrymen reached the railroad 
at Reams' Station, nine miles south of Petersburg, and after 
tearing up a part of the track, moved on toward the Southside 
railroad. W. H. F. Lee went in pursuit, struck the cavalry 
on June 23 and turned it aside. At the Staunton River, the 
Federals met local defence troops and once more were turned. 
In the meantime, Hampton, who had been engaged with 
Sheridan at Trevilians, hurried after the Federals, as did 
infantry detached from the main army. Wilson was forced 
to leave his plunder, including more than a thousand captured 
slaves, and was compelled to return to the main line of the 
Federals. 
' Not found. 



26o Lee's Dispatches 

tunate fellow citizens. I know of no way to afford 
them relief, except by their own energy and strength. 
If they will organize themselves under proper leaders, 
they can so punish these marauding bands as to drive 
them from the country. It woidd be better for them 
to send away or destroy their property, horses, pro- 
visions &c than to retain them to invite the inroads 
of the enemy. I will write to Col Mosby to see if 
he can operate in that country, though I think it 
would be very hazardous to him as he would certainly 
be betrayed by the negroes and traders of the country, 
and his retreat could be easily cut off.^ 

If officers could be selected of proper energy and 
boldness, it would tend greatly to the proper organiz- 
ation of the people, but I do not know how to select 
them. 

The writer of the letter referred to me, seems to 
look for help more to persons foreign to the country 
than to those resided in it. I think if that is the 
feeling of the Community, there is no remedy for 
their sufferings. They must come out and defend 
themselves, and take the consequences of their 
action. 

Very respectfully 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Gen 



^ A part of Mosby's command was, however, later dis- 
patched to the Northern Neck, a section which was isolated 
from the Confederate forces and easily overrun by marauding 
Federals who used the rivers. 



The Siege of Petersburg 261 

No. 143. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmd. June 27th 1864. 
By Telegraph from Head Quarters A. N. Va. 

Near Petersburg 28 

To Gen. B. Bragg 

Col. Gorgas reports four thirty pounder Parrotts 
and two ten inch mortars in defence around Rich- 
mond.^ I desire to be sent to me immediately two 
thirty pounder Parrotts & the two ten inch Mortars 
unless wanted there. ^ 

R. E. Lee 

377/40 Col. 

[Endorsed] 
Hd. Qrs. A. N. Va. 
Near Petersburg. 
June 28TH. 1864. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
Desires two thirty pounder Parrotts & two ten 
inch Mortars sent to him immediately. 

Copy referred to Col. Gorgas for compliance. 
R. B. 1320. 
Reed. June 28th. 64. 

^ Not found. 

* To this apparently Gorgas replied with a telegram that 
appears in the De Renne collection: "I am informed that one 
30 prd. and one 4.62 rifle were brought back from Chester. 
Are these the guns referred to? The guns are now in charge 
of Lt.-Col. Pemberton." (June 27.) See No. 144. 



2^2 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 144. 

\Telegra7n\ 

Dunn's House, June 27th. 64. 
Genl. B. Bragg 

Please return the two thirty pounder Parrotts 
that were removed from here unless they are needed 
at Richmond/ 

(Sd) R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 145. 

\Telegrani\ 

Received at Richmond June 29th. 1864. 

By telegraph from Hd. Qurs. A. N. Va. 
Near Petersburg 29. 
To Gen. Braxton Bragg: 

The matter of Cutherells detail as Clerk was 
referred to his Commanding officers as soon as your 
letter was received. Cutherell is performing duty 
at Brigade Hd. Qurs. His absence will probably 
necessitate additional detail. The papers have not 
been returned here owing no doubt to active 

operations. 

R. E. Lee. 
48/960 

\Kndorse6\ 

Hd. Qrs. A. N. Va. June 29th. 64. 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 



^ See supra, No. 143. 



The Siege of Petersburg 263 

CatheriU's detail as clerk was referred to his com- 
manding officers as soon as your letter was reed. 
Papers have not yet been returned owing no doubt 
to active operations. 

R. B. 1331 

Answered by letter. 

Reed. June 29th. 64. 

No. 146. 

JJD QRS A N Va 

30 June 1864. 
His Excellency Jeff^ Davis 

Presd' C. States 
M"". President 

I have the honor to enclose to your Excellency 
two letters received from Gen Whiting, one of 
which you will perceive, contains matters that he de- 
sires to be brought to your attention.' I think Gen 
Whiting exaggerates the difficulties and dangers 
of his position. So far as the report to which he 
alludes of Gen Smith's corps being intended to 
operate against Wilmington, is concerned, I believe 
that if such a destination was publicly assigned to it, 
the object was to cover the real purpose. I beUeve 
that Gen Smith's command, when it went to the 
White House, and when it returned to James River, 
pursued the course intended for it. 

I do not know, even if the enemy designs to attack 
Wilmington, how assistance can be given to Gen 
Whiting from this quarter, or from any other, unless 

* Not found. 



264 Lee's Dispatches 

he can draw some of the reserves of N. Carolina to 
his support. Nor do I see under the circumstances, 
what benefit can result from repeated publications of 
the weakness and necessities of his position by Gen 
Whiting. It increases the risk of the enemy becom- 
ing acquainted with his weakness, and may induce 
an attack. I think it would be well to call Gen. 
Whiting's attention to this consideration, and inform 
him that he must endeavor to strengthen himself as 
much as possible, and in case of attack, make the 
best defence he can. Dwelling upon possible dangers 
and looking for assistance that cannot be given, is 
not a good preparation on his part for defence.^ 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

* Major-General William Henry Chase Whiting had a some- 
what tragic career. At this time he held an important post in 
charge of the defences of the Cape Fear River. Born at Biloxi, 
Miss., in 1824, of Northern parents, he was educated at George- 
town and at the United States Military Institute, from which 
he was graduated at the head of the class of 1845. He served 
in the army until the outbreak of the war when he was com- 
missioned major of engineers and assigned to Charleston. 
Later transferred to North Carolina, he aided in the construc- 
tion of coast defences there and joined Johnston in Virginia 
in time to participate in the battle of First Manassas. He 
was promoted on the field by President Davis to the rank of 
brigadier-general and was assigned to the brigade previously 
commanded by General Bee. He participated in the spring 
campaign of 1862. Later in the same year he was returned 
to the command of the defences on the Cape Fear River and 
was kept there during the rest of the war, except for brief ser- 



The Siege of Petersburg 265 

No. 147. 

H° Q'^^ Army N Va 

ist July 1864. 
His Excy J"" Davis 

Presdt. C. States 
Mr. President, 

I have the honor to communicate to you the 
following items of Northern news taken from the 
Philadelphia Inquirer of the 29th ult: which you 
may find interesting. 

Staunton's dispatch to Gen Dix announces Sher- 
man's failure on the 27th June with a loss of 2500 
including one Brigadier and a number of field officers.^ 
The defeat of Gregg by Gen Hampton at Nance's 

vice in Virginia with Beauregard. His conduct with the latter 
raised some suspicions as to the temperance of his habits 
and undoubtedly clouded a career that gave great promise. 
Throughout volumes 36 and 40, part 3, of the Official Records 
will be found insistent appeals for more troops to defend a 
position which General Whiting believed to be hourly threat- 
ened. It was in answer to these that General Lee suggested 
the quiet reprimand proposed in this dispatch. Whiting was 
to "make the best defence" he could: none could be expected 
to do more. When relieved of command on the Cape Fear in 
the winter of 1865, General Whiting continued as a volunteer 
and shared the savage defence of Fort Fisher. From wounds 
received at this time, he died in captivity, March 10, 1865 

(C.M.H.,4,352ff.). 

^ The battle of Kenesaw Mountain, one of the bloodiest 
engagements in Sherman's advance on Atlanta. Joseph 
E. Johnston, the Confederate leader, confronted with superior 
forces, had withdrawn in the face of Sherman's advance but 
had paused at Kenesaw Mountain, had fortified himself 
strongly and had invited an attack. Sherman made it in 



266 Lee's Dispatches 

shop is admitted. Gregg is said to have been severely- 
handled. The Federal loss in killed and wounded 
in the affair of Gen Mahone is said to have been 
severe, and they admit that 2000 prisoners were 
captured Gen Hunter claims to have been victorious 
in every fight, and only retired because his powder 
was exhausted. 

There is no indication of any knowledge on their 
part of the movement of our troops in the Valley. 
The $300 commutation clause in the draft act has 
been repealed by a vote of ']2 to 79 in the lower house. 
An amendment was made to the law giving all cities, 
towns, counties &c sixty days to fill up their quotas 
by volunteering. The President may call for any 
number of men to serve for one, two, or three years, 
and a bounty of $200 is allowed volunteers or sub- 
stitutes for one year, I300 to those for two years, and 
$400 to those for three. If the quota be not filled 
in sixty days, the President may order a draft for 
one year, and no payment of commutation will be 
allowed Bounties as above are given to substitutes 
of drafted men, and the editor supposes to drafted 
men held for service also. 

The executives of each state may recruit in any of 
the rebel states. 

much the same fashion as Grant assaulted the works at Cold 
Harbor on June 3 of the same year. Sherman reported an 
aggregate loss of "nearly 3,000, while we inflicted compara- 
tively little loss on the enemy, who lay behind his well-formed 
breastworks." For this campaign, — one of the most brilliant 
withdrawals in military history, — General Johnston never 
received the credit he deserved. His removal came at a time 
when he was best in a position to turn on Sherman. 



The Siege of Petersburg 267 

The bill as amended was sent back to the Senate 
and referred to the Military Committee. It passed 
the House on the 28th June. 

With reference to the markets the following re- 
marks occur. "Usually a sudden jump in gold sends 
up actively all prices at the Broker's Board, but at 
present there is too much fear that the advance may 
be so startling as to render necessary quotations of 
greenbacks at their rate in gold, instead of the latter 
at its price greenbacks, which would bring the stand- 
ard of operations at once down to a specie basis. Most 
fortunate would it be for the country and the com- 
munity in general if this revolution should soon take 
place, for milHons would be saved that will hereafter 
disappear in the culminating crash unless some such 
disposition of affairs does transpire We hope for 
the best, but the merchants, brokers and capitalists 
are inclined to take in every sail and await the revela- 
tions for the future. Gold opened at 230, an advance 
of 8 per" cent, and thus steadily advanced to 238, 
which was the closing quotation, an advance of 28 
pr cent over the closing quotation of yesterday. The 
violent fluctuation cannot fail to cause apprehension 
for the future."^ 

The paper contains quotations of gold in New York 
as high as 245. Produce of all kinds also advanced. 

Very respy. 

Your obt servt 

R. R. Lee 

Genl. 

^ Gold, it must be remembered, attained its highest pre- 
mium, 286, in Northern quotations during this month. 



268 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 148. 

H^ Q^^ A N Va. 
2nd July 1864. 

His Excellency Jeff'' Davis 

Presd^ C. States 
Mr. President, 

As far as my judgment and experience enable 
me to decide, I am convinced that the cavalry service 
will be benefitted by having one officer to con- 
trol its operations, and to be held responsible for 
its condition. Since the death of Gen Stuart,'' 
I have placed each division under the charge of its 
division commander, and when two or more have 
operated together, have directed the superior officer 
to assume command. The disadvantage of this 
arrangement in my opinion is that he neither feels 
nor exercises that authority which is required by the 
responsibility of his position. It is taken up one day 
and laid aside the next, and is not as effective as if 
exercised by one who is permanently and solely 
responsible. You know the high opinion I entertain 
of Gen Hampton, and my appreciation of his char- 
acter and services. In his late expedition he has 
displayed both energy and good conduct,^ and 
although I have feared that he might not have that 

^ The famous J. E. B. Stuart (" Jeb" Stuart), major-general, 
P. A. C. S., mortaUy wounded at Yellow Tavern, Virginia, 
May II, 1864. 

^ Though Lee, in his dispatch of June 21, supra, had been 
doubtful of Hampton's success. 



The Siege of Petersburg 269 

activity and endurance so necessary in a cavalry 
commander, and so eminently possessed by Gen 
Stuart, yet should you be unable to assign Anyone 
to the command of the cavalry in this army whom you 
deem possessed of higher qualifications, I request 
authority to place him in the command.^ If this 
be done, it will necessitate appointing a commander 
for his division, and will hereafter recommend to you 
some person for that position. 

With high respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 



No. 149. 

Camp Petersburg 3 July '64. 
M'' President 

I had the honour to receive last ev^ by the hands 
of Col: Wood' your letter of the 2nd Inst:^ & to learn 
from him the arrangements made to release the 
prisoners — I think under the blessing of a merciful 



3 Hampton was assigned to command the cavalry corps on 
Aug. II, 1864 (S. 0. No. 189, A. N. Va., 1864, Par. VII, 0. R., 
42, 2, 1 171) but was not commissioned as lieutenant-general 
until February, 1865. General Stuart, it will be recalled, 
though a "corps" commander, never held the rank of 
lieutenant-general . 

^ Colonel John Taylor Wood, grandson of Zachary Taylor 
and President Davis' nephew by his first marriage. 

=* Not found. 



270 Lee's Dispatches 

Providence they will be successful & result in great 
good. If any human agency can insure success I 
think it will be accomplished by Col. Wood to whom 
I would be willing to trust the operations on land as 
well as sea. I think we cannot with safety attempt 
any communication with the prisoners. The first 
indications of relief must be borne to them by the 
guns of the captured gunboats — Neither in my 
opinion would it be safe to throw across the Potomac 
any party. Their advance to the river even would 
be dangerous Their transit would certainly be 
discovered. Col: Wood will send a boat to Cherry- 
stone to cut the telegraph wire to Old Point, if 
possible cut the wire from the point to Washington 
before the attack. If this can be done a great 
advantage will be gained. It would be very desirable 
to send with him some officer known to the prisoners, 
to organize inspire confidence & put them quickly 
in motion. I hope the officers there can do this — 
separating the Cav-', art"' & Inf^' & officer them 
according to the arm of service. The only officer 
here whom I could recommend for the duty is Genl 
Hoke. If he was now taken from his division in the 
present emergency I would not know what to do with 
it. I am afraid it would be lost to us. As the next 
best arrangement I can make I send to-day an officer 
to Gen Early to inform him that an effort will be 
made to release the prisoners about the 12 Inst: & 
if successful he will certainly know it through North- 
ern Sources. In that event, if circumstances will 
permit he must send down a brigade of Cav^ with 
Genls Gordon & Lewis to command & lead around 



The Siege of Petersburg 271 

Washington the prisoners &c — I think this is all 
that can be done. The rest must be left to the 
operators.^ No corps has left Genl Grant. Men 
whose time has expired & the sick are constantly 
descending the river. But convalescents & 100 day- 
men are returning in equal quantities as far as I can 
judge by the boats reported The g^^ corps which is 
reported to have left I know is here. Indeed all the 
corps are located along the lines — The day after the 
engagement with the battery on James river a single 
turreted monitor is reported to have passed Fort 
Boykin towed by a gunboat & accomp*^ by another 
down the river, & up to the ist Inst: had not returned. 
The enemy was unusually quiet last night & this 
mor^ 4 — w/'ith" great respect 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Pres: C. States. 



•^ The reference here is to a bold project, conceived at 
this time, by which Wood and a company of like dar- 
ing spirits proposed to capture a number of Federal gun- 
boats in the Chesapeake and to use them in conjunction 
with a land raid by General Early to liberate the Confed- 
erate prisoners at Point Lookout. Needless to say, the 
plan did not succeed. See Nos. 152 and 155 and O. R., ser- 
ies 2, 7, 458. 

" Along the lines which had now been permanently drawn 
for the siege of Petersburg. Shortly after this date, General 
Lee began to forward daily reports of actions and casualties 
on the front. 



272 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 150. 

[Hd.-Qrs. a. N. Va., July 4-6 (?) 1864]^ 
M'' President 

I send you a Herald^ of the 2nd Inst: brought in 
to-day by a deserter — It contains some items of 
interest — The resignation of M' Chase^, appoint- 
ment of M' Fessenden,^ repeal of the gold bill &c^ — 
As our papers seem to take it for granted that Burn- 
side's corps has gone to Washington, which if true, 
I do not know^ I refer you to the letter in which it 
is stated that Genls Grant Meade & Butler met at his 
quarters on the 28th Tuesday last — We took three 
prisoners from his corps on the 27th — He may have 
gone since & it is very difficult for me to get correct 
information here. I think though he is on the 



* Without date, but evidently early in July, 1864, because 
of the reference to Chase's resignation which was presented 
June 30, 1864. 

^ Doubtless the New York Herald, then famous for its war 
news. 

3 Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury. A brief 
but accurate account of the reasons for his resigna- 
tion will be found in Hosmer, Outcome oj the Civil War, 

i57ff- 

4 William Pitt Fessenden, chairman of the U. S. Senate 
Finance Committee, who succeeded Mr. Chase as Secretary 
of the Treasury. 

5 Cf. Hosmer, op. cit., p. 131. 

^ Burnside was still in Lee's front and was to have a part in 
the next important event, — the battle of the Crater. The 
6th Corps (Wright's) was ordered to Washington July 9, 1864 
(O. R., 40, 3, 106). Cf. infra, No. 153. 



The Siege of Petersburg 273 

lines — They do not appear to have any information of 
Earlys movements/ 

With great esteem 

Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
His Excy Jeff"* Davis 
Pres: C. States. 

No. 151. 

H^Q'^^ Army N Va. 

5th July 1864. 
His Excellency Jeff'' Davis 

Presdt C. States 
Mr. President, 

The subject of recruiting and keeping up our 
cavalry force, has occupied much of my thoughts, 
especially since the opening of the present cam- 
paign. The enemy is numerically superior to us 
in this arm, and possesses greater facilities for recruit- 
ing his horses and keeping them in serviceable con- 
dition. In the several engagements that have taken 
place between the cavalry of the two armies, I think 
great loss has been inflicted upon him, but it has been 
attended with a diminution of our force which we 
were less able to bear. Could I sweep his cavalry 
from the field, or preserve a fair proportion between 
its numbers and our own, I should feel that our 

' Great pains had been taken to conceal Early's movements 
as the strength of his force was limited and its ability to 
achieve a success was, in consequence, contingent upon its 
secret operation. 
18 



274 Lee's Dispatches 

present situation was in a measure secure. But in 
view of the disparity that exists, and the difficulty 
of increasing or even maintaining our force, I cannot 
but entertain serious apprehensions about the safety 
of our southern communications. Should we be 
unable to preserve them, I need not point out the 
consequences. I do not know from what quarter 
reinforcements can be had. There is one regt. 
of Georgia Cavalry under Col Anderson which I 
believe is desirous of joining this army. The War 
Department can best decide whether it can be spared 
but if it can be, I beg that it may be ordered to me 
without delay. You will know whether any can be 
drawn from Gen Johnston's Dept. That which is in 
Western Va is needed there and I am aware of no 
other source of supply. I think that horses might 
be obtained from Texas, as we have now access to 
the Mississippi at various points. Those horses would 
make very serviceable animals for cavalry, and could 
be brought across the river by swimming, as cattle are 
higher up the stream and on the Missouri river if only 
a few can be obtained in this way, it would be of 
great assistance. It has also occurred to me that 
horses at least for artillery service could be obtained 
on the Northern and Western borders of Va. by the 
system of exchange which is now being successfully 
carried on for subsistence. If good agents were 
selected and sent to the Western and Northwestern 
parts of the State, with authority to exchange cotton 
and tobacco for horses, the facilities for carrying on 
the traffic would be greater than that in articles of 
more difficult transportation, and at the present 



The Siege of Petersburg 275 

prices of those commodities in the North, the profits 
would be a great temptation, and insure the success 
of the experiment.' I think if anything is to be 
done, now is our most favorable opportunity. I 
hope your Excellency will be able to devise some 
means of obtaining an increase of our supply of 
horses, and recruiting our cavalry, as upon that in a 
great measure I believe, depends the issue of the 
campaign in Va. 

Very respectfully 
Your obt servt 
R E Lee 

Genl. 

No. 152. 

Camp Petersb'' 5 July '64. 
M'' President 

Your letter of the 4th Inst: was delivered to me 
this mor^ by Col: Wood.^ He with the gentlemen 
accomp^ him are on the road to Stony Creek depot, 
28 miles by the road they have to march where they 
will take the cars to Weldon. I procured horses 
for two & an ambulance for the other two & the 
baggage. I sent directions to Genl Whiting^ to 

^ This form of trade, though repeatedly prohibited by law, 
was at this time a regular means of procuring limited quantities 
of supplies. It was a tradition in the Confederate army that 
a Federal soldier would "sell the shirt off his back " for tobacco. 

* Not found. 

3 Commanding at Wilmington, from which point, as this 
dispatch makes plain, the proposed expedition against Point 
Lookout was to start. 



276 Lee's Dispatches 

provide them with two 20 p"^ Parrotts if possible & 
to furnish every other facihty in his power to expedite 
their movements — I hope they will sail on Saturday. 
I have gone over all the points of the expedition with 
Cols: Wood & Lee/ & we can now only trust to their 
energy & judgment & the blessing of a merciful 
Providence. The arrangement made with Genl. 
Early is the best I can suggest He is to send a help- 
ing hand after he hears of the success of the expedi- 
tion, & I think there is no danger of his precipitating 
matters. I do not see how the attention of the 
Potomac flotilla can be attracted to a remote point, 
unless Early's movements may call them to Wash- 
ington. This would be the best diversion, & in the 
best quarter. Every thing I think has been done 
that can be; & we have good ground to hope for 
the success of the enterprize.^ 

Most respy. your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
His Excy Jeff"" Davis 
Pres: C. States. 

No. 153. 

H^Q'^^: 6 July '64. 
Mr. President 

As I have felt some anxiety as to the position of the 
9th' corps from the various reports concerning it, I 

4 John Taylor Wood and G. W. C. Lee. 

5 See supra, No. 149 and infra No. 155. 
^ See supra, No. 150. 



The Siege of Petersburg 277 

directed that the pickets along our lines should be 
directed to capture a prisoner along their front. 
Genl Hill has just come in to report that one from 
the 2nd corps was brought in to him last night. He 
was a New Yorker, sharp & shrewd, from whom but 
little could be gained. But he had on his person a 
diary kept by himself & brought up to the 5th Inst. 
It was there recorded under date of the 4^^ Inst, 
that he had with a Comrade that day passed through 
the 9th & 5th corps visiting certain friends &c — 
This would seem to be good evidence — that the 
9th corps is present before Petersburg.'' 

With great respect your obt servt. 

R. E. Lee 



Genl. 



His Excy. Jeff^ Davis. 



No. 154. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond July 7 1864. 
By Telegraph from Hd. Qrs. near Petersburg 7 
To 0^""^ B. Bragg 

How did you ascertain that Grant was crossing 
forces from City Point to Bermuda Hundreds' Scouts 
report that Garrison at Yorktown been advanced to 
Williamsburg.^ 
25/500 Co. R. E. Lee 

' It was — about 18,000 effectives. 

' The answer would probably have been, from the report of 
signal-officer J. F. Moore. See the report, O. R., 40, 3, 747. 
' Cf. W. T. Robins to T. O. Chestney, ibid., 749. 



278 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 

Hd. Qrs. near Petersburg July 7th. 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
Inquires how Genl. Bragg learned that Grant was 
crossing troops from City Point to Bermuda Hun- 
dreds. Scouts report the garrison of Yorktown 
advanced to Williamsburg. 

R. B. 1368. 
Reed, at Hd. Qrs. 

A. C. S. July 7, 64. 

No. 155. 
[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, Va. July 8 1864. 

at 7.25 P.M. 
Hd. Qrs. near Petersburg. 
His Excellency 
J. Davis 
Telegram received. The expedition is spoken of 
all through the army, information having been 
brought from Richmond. I will inform the leaders 
and let them judge.' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 
Hd. Qrs. Near Petersburg 
July 8 1864. 
Telegram in cypher. 
Reed. July 8 1864. 

' Cf. Nos. 149 and 152 supra. See also Davis to Lee, July 
8, 1864. In this, Davis, avoiding specific reference to the 



The Siege of Petersburg 279 

No. 156. 

Camp id July '64. 

M'' President 

I have the honour to send you a N. Y. Herald of 
the 8*^ containing some items of interest. You will see 
the people in the U. S. are mystified about our forces 
on the Potomac — The expedition will have the 
effect I think at least of teaching them they must keep 
some of their troops at home & that they cannot 
denude their frontier with impunity — It seems also 
to have put them in bad temper as well as bad htimor' 

Point Lookout expedition, notified Lee that G. W. C. Lee 
had not been enabled to start from Wilmington as he had hoped 
because of delay in getting arms. He added: " In this town I 
hear the expedition is spoken of on the street. Shall it proceed 
under change of circumstances and possibility of notice being 
given to the enemy? If not, stop it as you deem best" 
(0. R., 40, 3, 749). The letter here printed is General Lee's 
response. R. E. Lee's letters to G. W. C. Lee and J. T. Wood 
do not appear in the O. R. but from other references there 
{loc. ciL, 753, 757, 761) it appears that the publicity which had 
been given the proposed expedition and the delay in procuring 
arms prompted the President to direct its abandonment. A 
brief account of the part which General Early was expected 
to play in the movement will be found in the narrative of Col. 
(later General) Bradley T. Johnson, who commanded the 
cavalry at the time (C. M. H., 2, 125 ff.). In his well-known 
diary, under date of July 9, 1864, J. B. Jones reports a rumor 
in Richmond that the expedition against Point Lookout had 
succeeded {Rebel War Clerk's Dairy, 2, 246). 

^ Early had pressed up the Valley, had crossed the Potomac 
and had created wild excitement in the North. The Sixth 
Corps, as has been noted, had already been dispatched from 



28o Lee's Dispatches 

— Gold you will see has gone as high as 271 & closed 
at 266^ — ^ Provisions &c are rising — I see also they 
are moving the prisoners from Pt — Look out — ^ 

I trust that you & your family are in good health 
& wish you every happiness — 

Very respy your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
His Excy Jeff*" Davis 

No. 157. 

Head Qrs A N Va. 

July 1 2th 1864. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 
President C. States 
Richmond 
Mr. President 

Letters which I have received from Gen. Holmes' do 
not represent affairs in North Carolina in a favour- 
able condition — I do not know what position he 

Grant's army to defend the Federal capital, and the Nine- 
teenth Corps, just arrived at Old Point from Louisiana, had 
also been rushed to Washington. On July 8, Early had de- 
feated Lew Wallace at Monocacy and had moved straight on 
Washington. He reached the outer works on July 1 1 , but not 
in time to take the city. 

* Before the end of the month it went to 286, as previously 
noted. 

3 Which would have been threatened had Early not been 
turned back. For other reasons that prompted the removal, 
see O. R. series 2, 7, index heading Point Lookout. 

^ Lieut. -Genl Theophilus H. Holmes of North Carolina, 
commanding Confederate forces in Weldon and vicinity. 



The Siege of Petersburg 281 

holds in the State or what is his command — If 
his health and strength qualify him for the duty I 
should think it would be well to give him supreme 
control of the reserves of the State — From his ac- 
count their organization proceeds slowly perhaps 
necessarily so, but every stimulant should be given 
to hasten it — If Gen. Holmes is incapacitated for 
these duties I recommend that some officer be sent 
there who is qualified — From all that I can learn he 
does not expect to obtain more than twenty five 
hundred of the Junior Reserves for service in Eastern 
Carolina & the maintenance of the railroads in that 
section. He represents affairs in the Western part 
of the state to be in a critical position. Col. Palmer 
commands in that district and Gen Holmes thinks he 
ought to be ordered to report to him — I do not know 
Col. Palmer nor do I see any actual necessity for his 
being under Gen. Holmes' command provided Col 
P. has control over the reserves in that section of the 
State & is able to repress the deserters and disloyal 
who are represented to be banding together to resist 
authority.'^ The Governor would be more efficacious 
than any one also in repressing this spirit of insubord- 
ination and in enforcing law and order. If Col. 
Palmer's is independent the reserves of the Western 
section should be reported directly to him — Now, 

^ By S. O. 170, Par. XLIX, A. & I. G. O., July 20, 1864, Col. 
J. B. Palmer was directed to report to Brig.-Genl J. G. Martin 
who assumed command "of the reserves of the District of 
Western North Carolina" (0. R., 40, 3, 788). On the i8th 
(ibid., 781) General Holmes was ordered to resume command 
of the "North Carolina Reserve Corps." 



282 Lee's Dispatches 

I understand, they are reported to Gen. Holmes who 
assigns them to Col. Palmer.^ 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt. 
R. E. Lee 

No. 158. 
[Telegrain] 

Received at Richmond, Va. July 12 1864. 

at 8.45 P.M. 
Hd. Qrs. Near Petersburg 12 
His Excy Jeffn. Davis 
Prest. C. S. 
Telegram of to-day received. I regret the fact 
stated. It is a bad time to release [relieve] the com- 
mander of an army situated as that of Tenne. We 
may lose Atlanta and the army too. Hood is a bold 
fighter. I am doubtful as to other qualities necessary. ' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 

Hd. Qrs. Army N. Va. 

July 12 1864. 
Telegram in cypher. 
Reed. July 12 1864. 

3 This letter is one of many in the long and complex corre- 
spondence regarding the exact status of the North Carolina 
troops, over whom Gov. Zebulon B. Vance exercised an au- 
thority which conflicted often with that of the Confederate 
Government. President Davis was frequently at his wit's 
end to know how to avoid difficulty with the testy chief 
executive of the State. 

^ Amplified more fully in No. 159, infra, q. v. 



The Siege of Petersburg 283 

No. 159. 

Camp 12 July '64. 

9>^ P.M. 
M». President 

I send you a paper of the loth Inst, containing 
M*" Secry. Stanton's bulletin to Gen. Dix, ac- 
knowledging a defeat of Genl Wallace at Monocacy 
by Genl. Early.^ I have also reC^ a dispatch from 
Genl Fitz Lee this evs reporting that he met Gen. 
Gregg with his division advancing towards Reams sta- 
tion, charged him with three of his regts : & drove him 
back, capturing some 30 men & two officers — His loss 
small. The enemy's not known He thinks he was 
moving against the R. R. We have only had it in 
operation two days, but have got through several 
trains of Corn & provisions. 

I am distressed at the intelligence conveyed in your 
telegram of today. It is a grievous thing to change 
commander of an army situated as is that of the 
Tennessee. Still if necessary it ought to be done. 
I know nothing of the necessity. I had hoped that 
Johnston was strong enough to deliver battle. We 
must risk much to save Alabama, Mobile & com- 
munication with the Trans MissP' — It would be 
better to concentrate all the Cavy in MissP^ & Tenn: 
on Shermans communications — If Johnston aban- 
dons Atlanta I suppose he will fall back on Augusta — 
This loses us MissPi & communication with Trans 

^ Not found, but cf. Halleck to Grant, July 9, 1864 (O. R., 
40, 3,93), and Lincoln to Grant, July lo, 1864 (ibid., 121) in 
which the defeat of Genl. Lew Wallace is acknowledged. 



284 Lee's Dispatches 

MissP^ — We had better therefore hazard that com- 
munication to retain the Country. Hood is a good 
fighter very industrious on the battle field, careless off 
& I have had no opportunity of judging of his action, 
when the whole responsibility rested upon him. I 
have a high opinion of his gallantry, earnestness & 
zeal. Genl Hardee has more experience in managing 
an army.^ 

May God give you wisdom to decide in this 
momentous matter. 

Truly & respy Yours 



R. E. Lee 



His Excy Jeff^ Davis 
Pres: C. States — 



P.S. To-day we could get no papers from the 
enemy, from which I inferred there was some good 
news they wished to withold. The one sent was 
captured. You must excuse its condition. 

R. E. Lee 

^ So far as the editor has been able to ascertain this letter and 
the telegram of the same date printed above (No. 158) are 
the only references General Lee ever made in writing to the 
removal of General Joseph E, Johnston from the army in 
front of Atlanta and the substitution of John B. Hood as 
commander. And these, too, seem all the more remarkable in 
their frankness. General Johnston, it will be recalled, was 
never esteemed by President Davis, and his conduct of the 
Atlanta campaign increased the President's distrust of John- 
ston's ability. On the i8th, Johnston was relieved of com- 
mand, — a step for which, perhaps. President Davis has been 
more criticised than for any other. It cannot be said from the 
letter and telegram here printed that General Lee encouraged 



The Siege of Petersburg 285 

No. 160. 

H° Q'^^ Army N Va. 

2ist July 1864. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 

President C. States 
Mr. President, 

Since we began to use the Weldon R R,^ we 
have been endeavouring to accumulate a reserve of 
corn at this place, in case the road should be again 
cut. But since we have brought away the supplies 
that accumulated at Weldon, Gaston & Wilmington 
during the interruption of traffic on the road, it has 
been found that we cannot get more than sufficient 
for daily consumption, and sometimes not enough 
for that, thus making it necessary, to entrench upon 
the small reserve of four or five days that we have on 
hand. The reason of this state of things is that corn 
is not brought in sufficient quantities from the south 
to Weldon, Gaston & Wilmington, the points with 
which the Weldon R. R. communicates. I hope it is 

or approved the change. Aside from his frank statement 
that he was doubtful of Hood's qualities as commander of an 
army, and aside from his quiet recommendation of General 
Hardee, the whole tone of the letter seems, to the editor at 
least, to caution President Davis against a hasty change. 
The most that he can say is the stoical "if necessary it ought 
to be done." Lee, it is needless to say, had a very high 
opinion of General Johnston's military qualities. 

^ The Petersburg and Weldon, now the Atlantic Coast Line, 
the most direct route at the time from Richmond and Peters- 
burg to the Carolinas. 



286 Lee's Dispatches 

being brought by the Danville^ & Piedmont^ roads 
to Richmond and that it is being accumulated there 
in sufficient quantities to serve the army in case of 
a renewal of the interruption of our roads. But I 
think that if possible, it should be brought from the 
south by the Weldon road also, as it is capable of 
aiding in the required accumulation, and we cannot 
tell how soon it may be needed. Commissary stores 
exceeding our wants are now coming to this point & 
being forwarded to Richmond, but I think it would be 
advisable to make arrangements to place a sufficient 
supply of corn at the points above indicated to enable 
us to draw from them to the extent of the capacity 
of the road, without at the same time relaxing in any 
degree the efforts to bring it to Richmond by the 
Danville Road. I dislike to add to the troubles and 
labors of your Excellency, but deem this subject 
sufficiently important to be brought directly to your 
attention.'* 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

" The line from Richmond to Danville, long known as the 
"Richmond and Danville" and now a part of the Southern 
system. 

3 The Piedmont was a weak and uncertain line from Dan- 
ville into North Carolina, subject to frequent washouts and 
interruptions. 

'' Lee's insistence upon this point was not without reason. 
Already the army defending Petersburg was on extremely short 
rations and, on several occasions, was on the point of starva- 



The Siege of Petersburg 287 

No. 161. 

[Telegram] 

Received at Richmond, Va. July 28th. 1864. 
By Telegraph from Dunn's Hill July 28th. 64. 
Hon. Secy, of War. 

Genl. Early reports that the enemy has retired 
across the Potomac at Williamsport burning over 
seventy wagons & abandoning twelve caisons. Our 
troops occupy Martinsburg.^ 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
Respectfully to Genl. B. Bragg 

H. L. Clay 
A. A. G. 

[Endorsed] 

Dunn's Hill July 28/64. 
R. E. Lee 
General. 
Telegram to Secty. War. 
Genl. Early reports enemy has retired across 
Potomac at Williamsport, burning over 70 wagons 
& abandoning 12 caisons. Our troops occupy 
Martinsburg. 

R. B. 1522 
Reed. Hd. Qrs. A. C. S. July 29/64. 

tion. Many commands that left the Petersburg defences on 
March 31, 1865, received no rations, other than a small amount 
of parched corn, until after they surrendered at Appomattox. 

' The reports and correspondence for this campaign will be 
found in O. R., 37, parts i and 2. General Early, falling back 



288 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 162. 

Head Q'^^ A N Va 

Aug. 9th 1864. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 

Presdt Confederate States 
Mr. President 

The soap ration for this Army has become a serious 
question — Since leaving Orange C. H. the Com- 
missary Lt Col. Cole has only been able to make 
three issues of three days rations each. The great 
want of cleanliness which is a necessary consequence 
of these very limited issues is now producing sickness 
among the men in the trenches, and must effect their 
self respect & morale. The importance of the subject 
and the general complaints which have arisen must 
be my excuse for troubling you with the matter — 
An offer of 24000 pounds at $3.75/100 has been made 
to the Commissary of the Army but the Commissary 
General declined to authorize the purchase at that 
price. — He speaks of the purchase of several lots at 
a smaller price $2.50/100 per pound but holds out no 
definite prospect of sending an adequate supply — 
such is the condition of the troops & their immediate 
necessities in regard to soap are so great that I 
hope the purchase of the 24000 pounds at even the 

on the valley of Virginia, employed this respite in tearing up 
the line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and dispatched 
McCausland's brigade on the famous raid to Chambersburg. 
An excellent account of the campaign is that in C. M. H., 3, 
chap. xxix. 



The Siege of Petersburg 289 

advanced price of fe.75/100 will be authorized & 
that contracts will be entered into at once for the 
future regular and adequate supply of the soap 
ration to the troops' — Their health, comfort & 
respectability cannot otherwise be secured. 
With great respect your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 



No. 163. 



Genl. 



H'' Q''^ A N Va. 
22nd Aug: 1864. 



His Excy Jeff'' Davis 

Presdt C States, 
M" President, 

The enemy availed himself of the withdrawal of 
troops from Petersburg to the north side of James 
River, to take a position on the Weldon R. R. 
He was twice attacked on his first approach to the 
road, and worsted both times, but the attacking 
force was too small to drive him off. Before the 
troops could be brought back from north of James 
River, he had strengthened his position so much, that 
the effort made yesterday to dislodge him was 
unsuccessful, and it was apparent that it could not 

^ The schedule of impressment prices for May and June, 
1864, quotes soap at $2.00 the pound (O. R., 42, 1152), but the 
schedule for Oct. 1864-Jany. 1865 fixed the price at $1.00 the 
pound. The lack of a soap ration was every whit as "serious" 
a question as General Lee explained. Itch had been added to 
the other burdens of the army. 
19 



290 Lee's Dispatches 

be accomplished even with additional troops, without 
a greater sacrifice of life than we can afford to make, 
or than the advantages of success would compensate 
for. As I informed your Excellency when we first 
reached Petersburg, I was doubtful of your ability 
to hold the Weldon road so as to use it. The prox- 
imity of the enemy and his superiority of nimibers 
rendered it possible for him to break the road at any 
time, and even if we could drive him from the position 
he now holds, we could not prevent him from return- 
ing to it or to some other point, as oiu" strength is 
inadequate to guard the whole road. These con- 
siderations induced me to abandon the prosecution 
of the effort to dislodge the enemy. ^ 

' Following the raid by Wilson's cavalry and the Second 
and Sixth Corps, on June 21, Grant settled down to the formal 
investment of Petersburg. As steadily as possible, he advanced 
his lines opposite those held by the Confederates and was able, 
with persistence, to take positions in some instances not more 
than one hundred yards from the Confederate front. This fact 
probably suggested to Grant the possibility of mining the Con- 
federate works. The method by which this was accomplished 
and the disastrous results to his army that followed are familiar 
to all readers. No new light on the battle of the Crater, which 
followed the explosion of the mine, is to be found in the De 
Renne collection. The details, therefore, need not be dwelt 
upon here. The next development in the campaign was the 
dispatch of Sheridan on his infamous raid through the Valley 
of Virginia, — one of the darkest blots on the military fame 
of Grant. As the Confederate commander sent Fitz Lee's 
division of cavalry and Kershaw's division of infantry after 
Sheridan, Grant decided to make a feint on Richmond "to 
prevent his [Lee's] sending his troops away, and, if possible, 
to draw back those sent." On August 13, accordingly, he sent 



The Siege of Petersburg 291 

I think it is his purpose to endeavor to compel the 
evacuation of our present position by cutting off our 
suppHes, and that he will not renew the attempt to 
drive us away by force. His late demonstration 
on the north side of the James was designed I think 
in part, to cause the withdrawal of troops from here 
to favor his movement against the road, but also to 
endeavor if possible to force his way to Richmond.^ 
Being foiled in the attempt, he has brought back all 



two corps and one division north of the James and made a 
feebly futile attack on the Confederate lines. As Lee moved 
a part of his army across the river before he was aware that 
Grant's forces had been driven back, the Federals decided to 
make a new assault on the Petersburg and Weldon railroad. 
This is the movement mentioned in this dispatch and stated 
in detail in O. R., 42, i, index caption, Weldon railroad. 
The Fifth Federal Corps under Warren advanced quickly and 
with spirit, and struck the railroad at the Globe tavern. Here 
more than i,ooo of Warren's men were captured by a flank 
movement by Heth's division. On August 19, A. P. Hill, with 
two divisions, assailed Warren's left while Mahone's division 
fell on his right. After a bloody action, Warren retired to 
temporary works which he was able to hold against Hill. Two 
days later Grant sent more troops to tear up the railroad 
beyond the point where Warren had struck it. But the new 
forces, vigorously assailed by Hill and by the Confederate 
cavalry, broke under fire and fled precipitately. Grant 
accomplished his main purpose, in that he destroyed an 
important link in the railroad, but he paid for it at heavy cost. 
Lee, in the same way, lost veterans whom he could not replace. 
^ Grant, as we have seen, maintained that his movement on 
the north side of the James was merely a feint. On September 
29, however, he did more serious work on the north side by his 
assault on Fort Harrison. 



292 Lee's Dispatches 

the troops engaged in it, except those at Dutch Gap, 
and it is possible that they too will be withdrawn to 
this side of the James.^ It behooves us to do every- 
thing in our power to thwart his new plan of reducing 
us by starvation, and all our energies should be 
directed to using to its utmost capacity our remaining 
line of communication with the south. The best 
officers of the Q M Dept should be selected to super- 
intend the transportation of supplies by the Danville 
road and its Piedmont connections and all the roads 
south of it. 

I shall do all in my power to procure some supplies 
by the Weldon road, bringing them by rail to Stony 
Creek, and thence by wagons. One train has already 
been sent out, and others are prepared to go. I 
think by energy and intelligence on the part of those 
charged with the duty, we will be able to maintain 
ourselves until the corn crop in Va comes to our 
relief, which it will begin to do to some extent in 
about a month. It should be our effort to provide 
not only for current wants but if practicable, to 
accumulate a surplus to provide against those 
occasional interruptions of the roads which the 
enemy's policy justifies us in anticipating. I think 
this can be done with proper effort, and by the full 
use of all the rolling stock we can accumulate. 

Our supply of corn is exhausted to-day, the small 
reserve accumulated in Richmond having been used. 
I am informed that all the corn that was brought from 

3 The Federals were already back on the south side of the 
James. 



The Siege of Petersburg 293 

the south was transported to this place and Rich- 
mond, but the supply was not sufficient to enable the 
Q M department to accimiulate a larger reserve. 
If this be true, it is desirable that steps be at once 
taken to increase the quantity brought over the 
southern roads, and if practicable, corn should be 
brought into Wilmington until our crop becomes 
available. 

I trust that your Excellency will see that the most 
vigorous and intelligent efforts be made to keep up 
our supplies, and that all officers concerned in the 
work, be required to give their unremitting personal 
attention to their duty/ 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

No. 164. 

JJDQRS ^^j^Y N Va. 

9th Sept 1864. 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 
Presdt. C. States 
Mr. President, 

In connection with the subject of bringing into the 
field all able bodied men, to which I recently called 
your Excellency's attention, I beg leave to submit 
a few additional considerations. 

'' The substance of this letter, addressed on the same day to 
the War Department, will be found in O. R., 42, 2, 1194. For 
Davis' reply, see ibid., 1197. 



294 Lee's Dispatches 

The duties of the Bureau of Conscription and of 
the Department superintending the enrollment of 
Reserves might in my opinion be consolidated in each 
state with advantage. The duties of both might be 
performed by one. A large number of able-bodied 
men and officers fit for and liable to do field duty, 
are now employed by the conscript Bureau. I think 
those men and officers should be sent to the field, 
and their places supplied by an adequate number of 
Reserves. The latter I think would be more efficient, 
at least if we look at the motives that may be sup- 
posed to influence them. The detailed conscript 
engaged in enrolling duty is interested in continuing 
the necessity for his own detail, which would cease 
as soon as all able-bodied men in his district have 
been brought out. The Reserves on the other hand 
would know that just in proportion as our regular 
armies are strengthened, will the necessity of a call 
upon their own class be diminished. They would 
therefore more naturally exert themselves to increase 
those armies. I therefore respectfully advise that 
but one force be employed to enroll conscripts and 
reserves in that it be taken from the latter class and 
the disabled men, all able-bodied men and officers 
now employed by the Bureau being at once sent to 
the army. In selecting officers for the business of 
conscription and enrollment, I earnestly recommend 
that some be employed at their own homes. The 
influence their action will have in determining all 
questions of detail and exemption renders the pro- 
priety of this suggestion apparent. I also advise that 
no enrolling officer be permitted to grant a furlough 



The Siege of Petersburg 295 

pending an application for discharge or detail. Let 
it be their business to send men to the field who are 
physically able & of the right age. We may safely 
trust the men so sent to establish their own claims to 
exemption or detail. 

I think that care should be taken to have an ade- 
quate force of reserves in each district, for the duties 
above referred to, but not more than are actually 
necessary. I would also recommend that inquiry 
be made whether any advisory boards employ 
able-bodied men as clerks.' 

Very respectfully 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

' "Detailed men" and "reserves" represented two distinct 
classes, — the former those who were fortunate enough to be 
"detailed" for service in executive departments, at prisons, 
etc., the latter those past conscript age, boys under sixteen, 
etc. Though the "detail" evil never became in the South 
the scandal it was in the North, it was a constant source of 
irritation to the soldiers and of concern to the military com- 
manders. To General Lee, who saw his small army dissolving, 
while no recruits except boys under sixteen, conscripts and old 
men were coming to the colors, the necessity of keeping able- 
bodied men from details was imperative. With the correspon- 
dence of this date there appears in the De Renne collection 
the following: 

Extract of letter from Brig Gen John Echols commd^ 
Dept E. Tennessee to Gen. R. E. Lee, dated Sept. 5th, 1864. 
. . . "East Tenn is in a terrible condition from the large 
numbers of guerillas, and bush-whackers, deserters from 
both armies who infest the whole country. Murders are of 
almost daily occurrence and atrocities of all kinds are perpe- 
trated. The public roads are all unsafe and an officer cannot 



296 Lee's Dispatches. 

No. 165. 

JJD QRS ^^j^Y N Va. 

loth Sept 1864. 
General Braxton Bragg, 

Comd^ Armies C. S. ' 
Richmond, 
General, 

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter of the 7th inst., and the accompanying 
report of the result of an inspection of the conscript 

travel without a strong escort. The country of south western 
Va. is fast getting into the same condition. There we have 
strong organized bands of deserters from the eastern armies 
who are defying authority and levying contributions upon the 
citizens. I have already directed the most active measures 
to be taken against them where they are most troublesome, 
and am employing the Reserves in this duty. But this state 
of things cannot be entirely remedied, and men properly 
brought into the service, and kept in when sent forward, unless 
we have a more rigid and faithful enforcement of the law and 
military regulations by the officers of the conscript Depart- 
ment. I am satisfied that the conscript laws are not rigidly 
and thoroughly enforced in south western Va. or we should 
have more men in the commands drawn from that section. 
I hope that the commd^ Genl may find the time and opportun- 
ity to press this subject upon the attention of the authorities. 
I think that the pubHc interests would be promoted by an 
entire change in the conscript agents in this portion of Vir- 
ginia, which cannot be too soon attended to." 

Official 
Charles Marshall 
Lt Col & A. D. C. [Cf. O. R., 43, 2, 864 ff.] 

^ Strictly speaking, Bragg was not "comdg Armies C. S." 
No commission to that effect had ever been given him or, in 
all probabiHty, would ever have been approved by the Con- 



The Siege of Petersburg 297 

service in Georgia.^ The facts presented by the last 
named document are not calculated to give much en- 
couragement. The very small number of men sent to 
the field by the Conscript law had already attracted 
my attention, and I have made some suggestions to 
the President which I thought calculated to make the 
law more effectual in its operation.^ Among them 
I advised that none but reserves and disabled soldiers 
should be employed to collect conscripts, and that all 
able bodied men and officers now detailed on that 
duty, who are of the proper age, be sent to the field. 
The reserves I think will be likely to do the work more 
thoroughly, as they will know that the increase of the 
regular armies diminishes the probability of a call 
upon their own class. I also advised the enrolling 
officers be not allowed to grant furloughs to conscripts 
pending the application of the latter for exemption or 
detail. I think it a sound principle that the enrolling 
& conscript officers should be restricted entirely to the 
duty of putting men in the field. I think we may 
safely leave it to the conscripts themselves to make 
out their claims to relief from active service. As the 
system of exemptions and details is now conducted, 
I do not expect any material increase of our strength. 
I was informed by Gen Kemper'* that in this state 

federate Congress, Bragg's temporary position as military 
adviser to the President corresponded to that of Halleck, 
Federal Chief of Staff. 

* Not found. Many references to the conscription service 
in Georgia occur in O. R., series 4, 3. 

3 Supra, No. 165. 

'' Brigadier-General James L. Kemper, distinguished at 



298 Lee's Dispatches 

alone there were no less than forty thousand exempts, 
details and applications for detail yet undecided. 
Of the applicants I suppose the greater part have 
furloughs Another point that I regard as very 
essential to the thorough enforcement of the law, is 
that no officer be put on enrolling duty at his own 
home. I recommended to the President to have an 
inspection made of the conscription service with a 
view to obtain accurate information as to its working. 
To me it now seems a very imperfect system of recruit- 
ing our armies. It is possible that nothing better can 
be done, but it is certain that in no department of 
the service are energy, intelligence and practical 
ability more vitally important to our success. I 
think the Department should be filled by the best 
capacity and the greatest vigor and industry that 
can be obtained, and should be confined to the single 
duty of putting men in the army. Very respectfully 
your obt servt. R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

No. 166. 
[Telegram] 
(Copy) 
Dunn's Hill, Sept. 24/64. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon, Secy. War. 

Genl. Echols^ reports that on 226.. Genl. Vaughan 
attacked the enemy at Blue Springs, Tenn. and drove 

Gettysburg but at this time incapacitated for field service 
and commanding the Virginia reserves. Kemper's estimate 
is undoubtedly high. 

* Brigadier-General John Echols, frequently mentioned in 



The Siege of Petersburg 299 

them seven miles into their entrenchments at Bull's 
Gap, killing and wounding several and taking some 
prisoners. Our troops behaved well. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
[Eiidorsed] 

R. B. 1934. 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
Dunn's Hill, Sept 24th. 64. 
Telegram to Secty. of War. Genl. Echols reports 
Genl. Vaughan attacked enemy on 22d. and drove 
him to his entrenchments Our troops behaved well. 
Reed. Hd. Qrs. A. C. S. Sept. 24/64. 

No. 167. 

[Telegram] 

Reed, at Richmond Octo. 4/64. 10 a. m. 

Chaffin's Bluff Octo. 4. 64. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon 
Sec. of War. 
Genl. Breckenridge reports that the Enemy 
attacked Saltville' on the 2nd. inst. and received a 
bloody repulse. They retired during the night in 
confusion apparently in the direction of Sandy River, 

this correspondence, was at this time in command of forces 
in Southwest Virginia which often joined with the commands 
in East Tennessee for mountain movements. Brigadier- 
General G. C. Vaughn, mentioned here, was generally the 
officer who co-operated with Echols. 

^ Smyth County, Southwest Virginia, where the "salt 
works" — most valuable to the South — were located. 



300 Lee's Dispatches 

leaving most of their dead and wounded in our hands. 
He is pursuing them. All our troops behaved well.'' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
Official Copy General. 

John W. Riely, 

Asst. Adjt. Genl. 

Res. sub. to Genl. Bragg. 
A. & I. G. O. 
Octo. 4. 64. 

[Endorsed] 

R. B. 1988 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 

Chaffin's Bluff Octo. 4/64. 
Genl. Breckenridge reports enemy attacked Salt- 
ville on 2nd. & were repulsed. He is pursuing. Our 
troops behaved well. 

Reed. Hd. Qrs. A. C. S. Octo. 4. 64. 

No. 168. 
[Telegram] 
Received at Richmond, Va. 9.18 p.m. Oct. 7th 1864. 
By Telegraph from Chaffin's Bluff Oct. 7/64. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon 

Secy. War. 
Major Boyle ' reports a small party of Enemy's 

^ General Lee was extremely anxious for Breckinridge to 
rout the enemy and to join Eariy in order that General Kershaw 
and his command, then with Early, might return to the army 
at Petersburg. Cf. Lee to Breckinridge, Oct. 5, 1864 (0. R., 
43, 2, 885). 

^ Major Cornelius Boyle, probably at this time provost- 
marshal at Gordonsville. 



The Siege of Petersburg 301 

Cavalry partially destroyed Rapidan Bridge on the 
6th., escaped before they could be arrested. "^ 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Respectfully referred to Gen Bragg. 

John W. Riely 

A. A. G. 
[Endorsed] 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

Chaffin's Bluff Octo. 7/64. 
Telegram to Secty. of War, announcing partial 
destruction of the Rapidan Bridge by Enemy's 
Cavalry. 

Reed. Hd. Qrs. A. C. S. Octo. 8/64. 

No. 169. 

[Telegram] 

Chaffin's Bluff, Oct. 19/64. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon 
Secretary of War. 
Genl. Breckenridge reports that his scouts on 
the night of the i6th. burned the railroad bridge over 
Mossy Creek.^ Before daylight on the i8th. the 

^ Cf. Seddon to Lee, Oct. 6, 1864, with report of an advance 
from the Rapidan (0. R., 43, 2, 886). The movement was 
insignificant. 

^ In Jefferson County, Tennessee, through which ran the 
East Tennessee and Virginia railroad. Bull's Gap was the 
point at which this railroad crossed Bays Mountains and 
was, in consequence, a strategic position of importance. 



302 Lee's Dispatches 

enemy hurriedly evacuated Bull's Gap retreating 
towards Knoxville, and Genl. Vaughan pursuing. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

James A. Seddon 

Secretary of War. 
Oct. 20/64. 

[Endorsed] 

Copy Telegram 
Genl. Lee to Sec. War. 
Chaffin's 
Oct. 19/64 

Operations in E. Tenn. 
Oct. 20/64. 

No. 170. 

Chaffins 25 Oct. '64. 
M"" President 

M'' Stringfellow has just handed me your note 
enclosing one from M'' Stewart — M'" S. said upon 
your advice he had come to consult me upon a project 
he had in view, especially as to its morality. — I gave 
him opinion as far as I understood it & thought from 
what he said he had not determined to undertake it, 
but that it would depend upon an interview he would 
have with you I know so little of M' S. that is his 
capacity for such an undertaking as he intimated 
rather than explained that when M'' Stringfellow 
first came to me I told him, as I have written to 



The Siege of Petersburg 303 

Genl Fitz Lee, that I could give him no advice or 
recommendation as to his course — He must make up 
his own opinion as to what he should do — Col: E. G. 
Lee has just called on me on the same subject, having 
been referred to me by M'' Stewart — As M"" S. 
told me, what I very well knew, that his project must 
be kept a profound secret, I could neither explain 
it to M"" Stringfellow or Col: Lee even as far as he 
had unfolded it to me — In fact I have not a high 
opinion of M' Stewarts Discretion, & could not advise 
any one to join him in his enterprize. I had inferred 
that his companions were to be taken from Canada, 
until I got a note from Genl Fitz Lee, asking if he 
must send some half dozen of his men to M"" S — To 
take a party of men from here seems to me to ensure 
failure & I could not recommend it. I supposed he 
would make up his mind as to what he would do & 
arrange his party in his own way. — I have had 
nothing to do with it — I return M'" Stewarts letter 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
His Exc^ Jeff^ Davis 
Pres: C. States 

P.S — Upon reperusal of your note I perceive you 
ask my advice — I do not think M"" Stuart by his 
habits life &c qualified for the undertaking he pro- 
poses — It was on this account that I could not advise 
others to join him. He may be an entirely different 
man from what I suppose him & the best fitted for 
the business, but I do not know it — I know nothing 



304 Lee's Dispatches 

of the means or information at his disposal & can form 
no opinion as to his probable success/ 

R. E. Lee 

No. 171. 

Petersburg 2 Nov '64. 
M' President 

I had the honour to receive last ev^ your letter of 
the Sist"^ — I am sorry to hear that Genl Laws antici- 
pates injustice at the hands of Genl Longstreet — I 
do not, & think that Genl Laws has nothing to do 
but his whole duty, & he need fear nothing — I 
know of no objection to making the transfer of his 
brigade to Hokes division, provided the change is 
acceptable to the brigades themselves — It is neither 
right or politic to consult the wishes of the Comm*" 
alone. ^ 

^ None of the correspondence referred to can be found in the 
Official Records. The proposed expedition, which did not 
become a reality, was probably somewhat like that which cost 
John Y. Beall his life, or else it was aimed at the destruction 
of railroads, posts, etc., in the North. General Lee apparently 
neither approved the undertaking nor the organizer. 

^ Not found. 

^ The officer to whom reference is here made is Brigadier- 
General Evander M. Law (not Laws) commanding in Field's 
division, Longstreet 's (First) corps, a brigade composed of the 
4th, 15th, 44th, 47th and 48th Alabama regiments. His 
record was good during the campaigns of 1862, but when he 
was sent to Tennessee with General Longstreet, he had numer- 
ous difficulties with that officer. At length resigning, he 
again incurred the wrath of Longstreet by journeying to Rich- 
mond and (Longstreet alleged) by suppressing correspondence. 



The Siege of Petersburg 305 

The information contained in the notes you en- 
closed me, I hope is exaggerated as regards to numbers 
— Grant will get every man he can & 1 50000 men 
is the number generally assumed by Northern papers 
& reports — Unless we can obtain a reasonable ap- 
proximation to his force I fear a great calamity will 
befall us. On last Thursday at Burgess' mill we had 
three brigades to oppose six divisions — On our left 
two divisions to oppose two corps — The inequality 
is too great — Our Cav^ at Burgess Mill I think saved 
the day'* — I came along our whole line yesterday 
from Chaffins Bluff to this place. ^ Today I shall 

When Law was returned to his command, he was rearrested 
by Longstreet's orders but was at length restored. As the 
incident caused much friction, Law was sent to South CaroHna 
(see From Manassas to Appomattox, index Law; C. M. H., 
7, I, 422 ff.)- 

'' The frank warning here voiced of "a great calamity" 
unless his army was re-enforced is perhaps the strongest 
intimation given by General Lee, prior to January, 1865, of his 
ultimate defeat. The engagement at Burgess' Mill, here 
commented on, occurred on Oct. 27, 1864, and is known among 
the Federals as "Boydton Plank Road." Under the latter 
title numerous Federal reports will be found in O. R., 42, 
I . The best Confederate report of the engagement is probably 
that of Wade Hampton {loc. cit., 949). This engagement is 
best remembered in the South for its personal loss to the chival- 
rous Hampton. While the general was himself directing 
operations, one of his sons was killed in the charge and another 
was severely wounded. Hampton never flinched. 

s Chaffin's Bluff was the northern connection of the system 
of defences which protected Richmond and Petersburg. 
From Chaffin's ran the Richmond line. From Drewry's 
Bluff, across the river, ran a series of works overlooking the 



3o6 Lee's Dispatches 

visit the lines here & to-morrow go down to the right. 
I always find something to correct on the lines, but 
the great necessity I observed yesterday, was the 
want of men. 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 
Pres: C. States. 

No. 172. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 
Petersburg, Dec. 13/64. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon, 

While Genl. Warren was before Belfield' the enemiy 
moved up the Roanoke against Fort Branch and from 

river, thereby protecting the water route to Richmond, and 
joining the lines that began on James River opposite Dutch 
Gap. The latter was the " Hewlett line," which ran almost 
due south across Ashton Creek to the Appomattox River. The 
line then ran along the river for about three miles, turned 
gradually, enveloped Petersburg and protected the Weldon 
railroad for some distance. The line was drawn to protect 
the Richmond and Petersburg railroad, upon which Richmond 
was dependent for direct communication with Eastern North 
Carolina and the States to the South. When this Hne was cut, 
Richmond was isolated. The next line of communication 
with the South was via Danville. 

' These movements were incidental to what is known in the 
Federal reports as the "Hicksford raid," the details of which 



The Siege of Petersburg 307 

Newbern against Kinston. Both parties retired 
before the forces sent against them. All is quiet in 
that District. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
Resp. submitted for the information of the 
President. ■ 



Dec. 14/64. 



James A. Seddon 
Secretary of War 



[Endorsed] 
Copy 
Telegram 
Genl. Lee to Sec. War. 
Petersburg 
Dec. 13/64. 
Dec. 14/64. 

No. 173. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram in Cipher. 

Petersburg Dec. 14 1864. 
His Excy. The President. 

Chief Commissary of this Army received notice 
yesterday from Richmond that there was no salt 
meat there to send him, but would forward preserved 
meat. He thinks he may get enough to last to- 

will be found in O. R., 42, i. Lee's loss was "slight" and 
only "about six miles" of the Weldon railroad track was 
"broken up" (see Lee's telegram of Dec. 13, 1864, 0. R., 
op. ciL, 3, 1271). 



3o8 Lee's Dispatches 

morrow. Neither meat nor corn are now coming 
over the Southern Roads, and I have heard there was 
meat in Wilmington. ' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

[Endorsed] 

Telegram from 
Genl. R. E. Lee 

Petersburg Dec. 14, 1864. 
Secty. of War, 

Please inform me, what has been or can be done 
to meet the case as presented within. 

J[efferson]. D[avis]. 
14 Dec. 64. 

Reed. Dec. 14 

^ Little at Wilmington and but 40,000 pounds at Raleigh, 
N. C. (see telegram of Dec. 22, 1864, infra, No. 175), This 
telegram, unimportant in itself, gives a glimpse of the spectre 
that was to haunt Lee's army through the winter, — virtual 
starvation. A commissary which had been poor at best was 
now weakened still more by the destruction of supplies in the 
Shenandoah Valley and in Georgia. The speedy closing of 
the Cape Fear River was to cut off the blockade-runners who 
had brought "Nassau bacon." 

With the correspondence of this date appears a copy of the 
following telegram : 

Wytheville, Dec. 15/64. 
J. W. Crowley Supt. 

Major J. S. Johnston A. A. G. informs me that there is a 
very strong probability that the enemy will reach here to- 
morrow by 12 O'clock. It is not supposed to be the main force 
of the enemy, but a select few, with the view to destroy the 
lead mines, railroad and other property. This is the opinion 



The Siege of Petersburg 309 

No. 174. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Quarters, Dec. 17/64. 

Hon. J. A. Seddon, Secy. War. 

Major J. S. Johnston' reports from Dublin that 
enemy have left Wytheville, retiring by same route 
they came. Vaughan reported near Wytheville, 
and lead mines safe. 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

Resp. submitted for the information of the President. 

James A. Seddon 
Secy. War. 
Dec. 18/64. 

[Endorsed] 

Copy telegram to Sec. War. 
R. E. Lee 

Dec. 17 — 1864. 



of the A. A. G. to Genl. Breckinridge. We have scouts out, 
and they will be in at 12 or i O'Clock to-night, when I can give 
you more definite news. 

(Signed) C. E. Bowyer 
Operator. 

* Major Johnston was assistant-adjutant-general to General 
Breckinridge. The raid mentioned was unimportant and was 
by " a select few " as the operator stated in the telegram quoted 
in No. 174. 



310 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 175. 

[Telegram] 

Telegram in Cypher. 

Head Qrs. Army No. Va. 

December 22. 1864. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis. 
Genl. Bragg' reports his inability to subsist troops 
and his District exhausted. Expects in one day to 
consume supply of meat.^ 

Can anything be done in the matter. 

R. E. Lee 

[Endorsed] 
Genl. R. E. Lee HeadQuarters Army No. Va. 
Dec. 22 1864. 

Telegram in cypher 
To Com. Genl. 

Can you not meet this necessity at once — as Wil- 
mington is being threatened & may be attacked any 
time. Supplies are of the most importance there. 

J. A. S[eddon], 

S[ecretary of War]. 
23d. Dec./64. 

Reed. Dec. 23 1864. 

^ Bragg had been sent to Wilmington, had gone thence to 
confer with Beauregard and, on December 17, had returned 
to assume personal charge of the Wilmington defences, re- 
lieving Whiting (0. R., 42, 3, 1278). 

^ The necessity for provisioning Bragg's (Whiting's) com- 
mand was imperative. Fort Fisher was already attacked. 



The Siege of Petersburg 311 

The only meat available is about 40,000 pds. at 
Raleigh. The want of meat long impending is 
general. 

Respty. 
Dec. 23d./64 L. B. Northrup 

C[ommissary] G[eneral]. 
B. of S. 
A. G. V. 151 

The quantity at Raleigh had better be ordered at 
once to Wilmington. 23 Dec./64. 

J. A. S[eddon], 
S[ecretary of War]. 

Ansd. to Genls. Lee and Bragg. 23 Dec./64. 

No. 176. 

[Telegram] 

Reed, at Richmond Dec. 25/64. 
By Tel. from Hd. Qrs. A. N. V. 25. 
Hon. J. A. Seddon 
Secy, of War. 
Col. Leventhorpe reports that on evening of 23rd. 

The troops were beleaguered. It is significant that General Lee 
on October 21, 1864, had urged that ample supplies be fur- 
nished Whiting "in case the enemy should succeed in cutting 
them off from the city " (0. R., 42, 3, 1156). Jones in his diary 
throws much light on the administration of the commissary 
one of the weakest branches of the Confederate Government. 
In the correspondence of this date appears the following dis- 
patch, relative to General A. T. A. Torbert's attempted raid 
on Gordonsville : 



312 Lee's Dispatches 

enemy's gunboats passed below Williamston and 

have probably returned to Plymouth.' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
[Endorsed] 

Copy telegram from 
Genl. R. E. Lee to Sec. of War. 
Hd Qrs. A. N. V. Dec. 25. 1864. 
Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

J. A. Seddon 

Secy. War. 
Dec. 26/64. 

Reed. Dec. 26. 

No. 177. 

Hd.QRs: 8 Jany '65. 
M^ President 

I have listened with great pleasure to the account 
given by Genl Ripley^ of the condition of affairs in 

Rec. at Richmond, Dec. 23/64. 
1.35 P.M. — By Tel. from Gordonsville 23. 

Dr. W. S. Morris 

The enemy have been repulsed and punished severely. 
They are now retreating back towards Sperryville, way they 
came. Good many killed laying in field near Gordonsville. 

(Signed) H. S. Smithers. 

^ Brig.-Genl Collet Leventhorpe, commanding on the Roan- 
oke River. The movement here reported was incidental to 
the siege of Fort Fisher. 

^ Brig.-Genl R. S. Ripley, at this time commanding the 
first military district of South Carolina, which included 
Charleston. He was, however, soon ordered to join General 
J. B. Hood. 



The Siege of Petersburg 313 

S. C. & Charleston. It is painful to me to contem- 
plate the evacuation of the city. Its necessity must 
be determined by the officers on the spot responsible 
for the act. I do not think it will be abandoned by 
Genl Beauregard if not imperatively necessary. Its 
loss would be aggravated if accomp<^ by the loss of 
the army placed there to defend it. I think it safer 
& perhaps easier to prevent the enemy from reaching 
Charleston. I hope by concentration of all their 
forces that Sherman may yet be arrested in his course. 
If he cannot be, to shut our troops up in the city, 
without a certainty of supplies & no prospect of a 
relieving force, might prove their destruction — This 
question can only be decided by officers on the spot 
in my opinion. To dictate a line of conduct to them 
from this distance & in ignorance of the essential 
elements for a proper judgment might be ruinous.^ — 
I think Genl Beauregard in his dispatch of the 6*^ 
from Augusta is mistaken as to the 19th & 23rd corps 
being with Sherman. The 19th with the exception 
of one division under Emory at Winchester is with 
Genl Grant. The 23rd Schofields, was on the 4th 
just below Alex^ — arrested by ice in the Potomac. 



3 General Lee might with some authority have discussed 
conditions at Charleston, having been in charge of that city's 
defences in 1862, but here as in every case, where he did not 
feel that his personal knowledge of a situation was sufficient, 
he declined to hamper officers on the scene of hostilities. 
Charleston, it will be recalled, was evacuated on Feb. 18, 1865. 
Inland communications having been cut off and the city 
isolated, the garrison withdrew and united with General 
Johnston's troops in North Carolina. 



314 Lee's Dispatches 

It is reputed to be on its way to Grant, & prisoners 
taken Monday stated it had arrived at City P^ on 
Sunday/ I have informed Genl Beauregard 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
His Excy Jefferson Davis Genl. 

Pres: C. States. 

No. 178. 

H^ Q'^" Army N Va. 

loth Jany 1865. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 

President Confed States 
Richmond, 
Mr. President, 

I have received tonight the dispatch from Gen 
Hardee of the 8th inst: which you have done me 
the honor to forward. The dispositions made by 
Gen Hardee appear to me to be judicious, and as far 
as I can judge at this distance, the line he proposes 
to hold is the best. All he wants is sufficient troops. 
According to his statement he will have with Connors' 
brigade, over 20,000 men. This is exclusive of the 
5000 militia promised by Gov Magrath, and also of 
Gen G. W. Smith's command. This will swell his 

'' Brevet Major-General Wm. H. Emory, commanding the 
"Middle Military Division," with headquarters at Stephen- 
son's Depot. The second division of the 19th Corps was 
ordered to Georgia on Jan'y. 7, 1865. The 23rd Corps was 
en route to North Carolina, whither Sherman was marching. 



The Siege of Petersburg 315 

force to 27000. Ten thousand additional troops 
ought to be obtained from Georgia, and I hope no 
effort will be spared to get them.' I do not know 
what Hood can accomplish, or what he proposes to do, 
but his force should not be kept idle, and unless he 
can deal the enemy some important blow, his troops, 
or at least a portion of them should be brought east. 
If he adopts a defensive course, no more troops will 
be required there than enough to hold Thomas in 
check. The only aid that I can give Hardee in ad- 
dition to what I have done, is to send down Butler's 
division of cavalry. Part of it is there now under 
Young and I will send the balance should you deem 
it judicious to do so. But in that event I should 
have to send Gen. Hampton, or it might be merged 
in Wheeler's cavalry and thus lost." Gen Hardee 
informs me that he has no command for Gen R. H. 
Anderson, though he would like to have his assistance. 
An expedition has left Grant's army which I 
think is probably intended to repeat the attack 
against Wilmington. I have not yet learned its 
strength, but from the number of transports that have 
descended James River, I sh ould judge it was not 

' Hardee's dispatch not found. Lieutenant-General W. J. 
Hardee had been in command of Savannah when General 
Sherman approached that city at the end of his infamous 
"march to the sea." With rare skill, Hardee extricated 
himself and moved into South Carolina where it was hoped he 
would be able to reorganize and perhaps to meet Sherman. 
Unfortunately, Charleston had to be evacuated and Columbia 
was captured. Plans for active operations in the Palmetto 
State thereupon came to an end. 

^ See No. 179, infra. 



3i6 Lee's Dispatches 

larger than the former.^ Still Gen Bragg may have 
to be reinforced, which will further weaken this army. 
The 8th corps and a portion of the black troops are 
said to form the land troops of the expedition. 
I am with great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl 

No. 179. 

H° QRS: NEAR Petersburg 15 Jan '65 
M' President 

I have seen Genl Hampton & concluded under the 
discretion given me in your letter of the nth' to 
detach Genl Butler's division^ of Cav^ to S. C. for 
service there this winter, but it is with the under- 
standing that it is to return to me in the spring in time 
for the opening of the campaign — Without this con- 
dition, I think it would be disadvantageous to send 

^ The first expedition against Fort Fisher in the winter of 
1864-65 had been under the direction of General B. F. Butler 
and had not been successful. The second, under General 
A. H. Terry, supported by a very strong fleet, led to the 
reduction of Fort Fisher (Jan. 15, 1865). The Cape Fear 
River, which had the last channel through which the Confeder- 
ates had been able to run the blockade, was thereafter in the 
hands of the Federals. 

^ Not found. 

' According to the field returns of December 31, 1864 (0. R., 
42, 3, 1369), Major-General M. C. Butler's division was at that 
time composed of Butler's brigade (Col. B. H. Rutledge), 
Young's brigade and, temporarily, Bearing's brigade. Rosser's 
brigade had been attached to this division (ibid., 1191). 
Young was detached. 



The Siege of Petersburg 317 

it. May I ask you to impose this condition & let 
me know. In the meantime I will get the men ready 
to start. Genl Hampton thinks he can mount the 
men in S. C. & will telegraph to the Genl to collect 
horses, which the men will buy if placed at reasonable 
prices. The horses here will be placed in camp in 
N. C. or with Major Paxton at Lancaster, & the men 
transported by rail If the Genl can give no assur- 
ance of their procuring mounts, or if Hampton can- 
not make arrangements for subsistence of the horses, 
I will not send them. I think Hampton will be of 
service in mounting his men & arousing the spirit 
& strength of the State & otherwise do good. I will 
therefore send him. He will report the State of 
affairs on his arrival & then you can determine, 
whether it will be necessary to take any steps in ref- 
erence to him.^ He will take immediate measures to 
place Butler in the field & I desire Youngs brigade to 
be ordered to join Butler. I understand Young prefers 
Comm^ his brigade to a division under Wheeler.'* 

Genl Bragg telegraphs at 8 p.m. yesterday from 
Sugar Loaf, that the enemy succeeded on the night 

3 See O. R., 46, 2, 1074, Davis to Lee: "The condition that 
Butler's division should return to you was understood by me 
to be part of the proposition, and will be distinctly stated. 
Young's brigade (see note 4) will join the command as soon as 
it arrives on the field of operations." The order was given 
on Jan. 19, 1865 {ibid., 1 100-01). 

'* Brigadier-General M. B. Young and a detachment of men 
had been sent to Augusta, Georgia, Nov. 24, 1864 "to procure 
horses" (0. R., 42, 3, 1228). At the time of this dispatch, 
he had not returned though Butler had requested that he be 
ordered back (O. R., 46, 2, 1003). 



31^ Lee's Dispatches 

of the 13th in extending a line across the Peninsula 
between him & Ft Fisher That upon close examina- 
tion he thought it too strong to attack with his 
inferior force. Fisher has been reinforced with 
sufficient veterans to make it safe & that the width 
of the river is such that the enemy cannot controul 
it even with Art^ of which he has as yet landed none. 
Bombardment of Fisher on the 14^^ light-weather 
continues fine & sea smooth — I have telegraphed in 
reply to concentrate his forces & endeavour to dis- 
lodge him. That he will land his cannon & besiege 
Fisher He gives no estimate of strength of enemy, 
& makes no call for reinforcements.^ 

With great respect your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 
Genl 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C. States — 

No. 180. 

jjD QRs Army N Va 

1 8th Jany 1865 
His Excy Jeff^ Davis 
Presd* C States 
Richmond, 
Mr President 

The loss of the port of Wilmington, cutting us off 
in a great measure, from access to the world by sea, 

5 The correspondence relating to the siege and capture of 
Fort Fisher will be found in O. R., 46, 3. The Confederates 
were overpowered and overwhelmed by the fire directed against 
them from the fleet that accompanied Terry's expedition. 



The Siege of Petersburg 319 

renders it important in my judgment to extend 
and systematize the exchange of our cotton, tobacco 
and naval stores for articles of necessity. I observe 
that the enemy is disposed to encourage the importa- 
tion of cotton &c under the impression that it will 
weaken us. We on the other hand would do well to 
exchange these commodities for such things as we 
need more. 

The great difference between the prices of these 
articles here and in the United States, enables us to 
offer a strong inducement to traders to exchange with 
us, an inducement that has already been found suffi- 
cient to cause a relaxation in the rigor of the prohibi- 
tion against traffic, and which if united with such a 
policy on the part of the Northern Government as is 
referred to above, may by judicious management on 
our part, be made to supply the loss we sustained in 
the fall of Ft Fisher. A great objection to this traffic 
is its tendency to produce demoralization among our 
people, who will, if not restrained, engage in it for 
purposes of profit. This is now the case on those 
parts of our lines in Va & N C where this trade is 
being carried on to some extent to procure subsistence 
and other supplies. The illicit traffic also interferes 
seriously with the authorized business of the gov* 
agents. Any system that may be adopted must be 
accompanied with full power to prevent the illegal 
trade It is impossible to do this by guards, as the 
frontier is too extensive for us to watch. And as 
the law now stands, the penalty for its violation, 
being only the confiscation of the property seized, 
by a slow process, is entirely inadequate, and has no 



320 Lee's Dispatches 

application to those who elude the guards & escape 
seizure There must be added a personal penalty 
of fine and imprisonment, and as it is an offence 
against the safety of the country, it should be pun- 
ished with great promptness and severity. Another 
requisite will be to empower the Gov^ to impress 
cotton tobacco & naval stores, especially where they 
are found in localities exposed to the enemy, or from 
which they can be easily taken across the lines. This 
has been recommended by intelligent officers in 
N C as the only certain means of putting a stop to 
the illicit traffic there, and is recommended by other 
obvious considerations. I would suggest that the 
power of immediate impressment for Gov*^ use be 
extended to all contraband articles taken in transit 
to or across our lines without authority. This 
would be more effectual than the slow process of 
forfeiture now provided for to prevent this traffic. 
With these restrictions, and the organization of a 
regular system of barter under the direction of a prac- 
tical and experienced man of business, much good 
can be accomplished. The best system would be to 
give contracts for supplies to the lowest responsible 
bidder, who should be paid in cotton with the 
privilege of removing it from the country. This is 
preferable to employing govt agents directly in 
making exchanges, as is now done. It will enlist 
private enterprise & cupidity in the service of the 
government, instead of putting it in competition 
with it as is now the case. It will also induce great 
numbers of persons to engage in it, and the aggregate 
of the supplies received from all will be greater than 



The Siege of Petersburg 321 

one agent can possibly get. It will also prevent 
the immediate appearance of the gov* in the business 
of bringing supplies over the lines, and thus arousing 
the suspicions of the enemy. The business will 
easily be made to assume the character of private 
trade, such as furnishing supplies to devastated 
sections of the country, or pretexts of that nature, 
which with the large margin of profit, can readily 
be made satisfactory to the Federal agents, by the 
parties engaged. The interest and cupidity of 
individuals will be found far more effectual in over- 
coming the difficulties that beset the traffic, than the 
most energetic efforts of regular government agents 
stimulated only by the desire to do their official duty. 
The trade should be extended to all parts of the 
country that offer facilities for bringing in supplies, 
and should embrace all kinds of articles required by 
the army. Clothing, shoes, and food I believe could 
be obtained in great quantities by intelligent and 
judicious management. At the same time, it seems 
to me that the Govt should extend every encourage- 
ment to the production of articles of necessity in our 
own country, by liberal contracts with manufacturers. 
I believe that we should now be more independent 
had this policy been pursued from the beginning. 
Much capital has been employed in trustful specu- 
lation, which would now be engaged in useful manu- 
factures had not the capitalists been apprehensive 
that the return of peace would leave them with their 
means invested in an unprofitable business. If it be 
practicable to give encouragement to home produc- 
tion now, I think it a much better policy than for 



Z'2'2 Lee's Dispatches 

the government to engage in the business itself. I 
respectfully submit these considerations to your 
better judgment, and trust that you will be able to 
devise some means to make our large resources 
valuable and available to the army.^ 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 

R. E. Lee 

Genl 

No. i8i. 

H°-QRS: Army N. Va: 19 Jany '65. 
M' President 

I rec*^ tonight your letter of the 18^ Inst: stating 

that it had been reported to you that I had changed 

my opinion in regard to the extension of my duties, 

while retaining command of the army of N. Va — I 

do not know how such a report originated, nor am I 

aware of having said anything to have authorized it. 

I do not think that while charged with my present 

command embracing Virginia & N. C. & the immedi- 

^ Cj. Lee to the Secretary of War, Jan. 16, 1865, O. R., 
46, 2, 1075. An interesting monograph in economic history 
might be written on Cotton Trading during the War between 
the States. A large element in the South, led by the far-seeing 
Alexander H. Stephens, believed that the South had only to put 
its cotton in bond to establish credit sufficient to finance the 
war. The dominant party contended that English interven- 
tion would come only by cutting off the cotton crop and thereby 
closing the mills. With this conflict in policy, the enact- 
ments of the Confederate Congress were not heeded by the 
people. Cotton was sent out whenever possible by blockade- 
runners and formed a staple for unlawful trading, especially 
in those parts of the Confederacy where the country was over- 



The Siege of Petersburg 323 

ate controul of this army I could direct the operations 
of the armies in the S. Atlantic States. If I had the 
ability I would not have the time. The arrangement 
of the details of this army extended as it is, providing 
for its necessities & directing its operations engrosses 
all my time & still I am unable to accomplish what 
I desire & see to be necessary. I could not therefore 
propose to undertake more. I am greatly gratified by 
the expression of your confidence in offering me the 
extensive command proposed in your letter, but I must 
state that with the addition of the immediate com- 
mand of this army I do not think I could accomplish 
any good. I am willing to undertake any service to 
which you think proper to assign me, but I do not 
wish you to be misled as to the extent of my capacity.' 
I am with great respect 

Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 

Pres: C. S tates — 
run by Federals. An interesting sidelight on the value of 
cotton at this time and the demand for it in the North will 
be found in the correspondence of Brigadier-General W. N. R. 
Beall, P.A.C.S. (Freeman, Calendar Confederate Papers, 73 ff.). 
Beall, at the time a prisoner of war, was paroled by agreement 
between the Confederate States and the United States to 
act as agent for the sale of cotton passed through the blockade 
by consent for the relief of Confederate prisoners in the North. 
The middling was sold at 93 cents the pound, the pickings 42 
cents and 47 cents the pound. During 1864, cotton reached 
$1.90 in New York. 

' The "extension of my duties" to which General Lee refers 
was the position of commander of all the armies of the Con- 



324 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 182. 

H°-QRS: Petersburg 20 Jan^ '65 

His Excy Jefferson Davis 

Pres: C. States — Richmond 
M^ President 

I am aware that it will take some time to regulate 
& perfect the Piedmont R. R. & that the whole 

federacy to which President Davis proposed to appoint him. 
The exact date of the proposal and the events leading to it are 
somewhat in doubt. On January 17, 1865, the General As- 
sembly of Virginia unanimously passed a secret resolution 
stating their belief that Lee's appointment "to the command 
of all the armies of the Confederate States would promote their 
efficiency and operate powerfully to reanimate the spirit of the 
armies, as well as of the people of the several States, and to 
inspire increased confidence in the final success of our cause" 
(O. R.,46, 2, 1084). The President must, however, have talked 
with General Lee on the subject before the date of the above 
resolution, because in the letter Lee here acknowledges, the 
President speaks of the plan as though it were well understood. 
He writes: " It has been reported to me that you have changed 
your opinion in regard to the extension of your command while 
retaining command of the Army of Northern Virginia. I 
therefore renew to you the proposal that you should exercise 
command over the South Atlantic States, together with 
Virginia and North Carolina, and now offer the larger sphere 
of all the forces east of the Mississippi River; or, if you think 
it practicable, that you should resume your former position of 
commander of all the armies of the Confederate States, with 
the addition of the immediate command of the Army of 
Northern Virginia" (0. R., loc. cit., 1091). General Lee, 
it might be well to remark, had occupied in 1862 the extra- 
legal position held by General Bragg during the summer of 
1864, "commander of the Confederate armies," — a position 



The Siege of Petersburg 325 

difficulty cannot at once be overcome by the Govern- 
ments taking it in charge — Its condition is so import- 
ant to our mihtary operations as well as to the welfare 
of the community that I venture to enclose a letter 
lately rec^ from Genl Martin. I do not see how 

largely advisory in character and subordinate to the President. 
In reply to the resolution of the General Assembly, Mr. Davis 
wrote a very warm encomium on Lee (ibid., 1091-92). On 
January 23, 1865, the Confederate Congress passed an act for 
the appointment by the President of "an officer, who shall be 
known and designated as General-in-Chief, who shall be rank- 
ing officer of the Army, and as such shall have command of 
the military forces of the Confederate States. " To this office 
President Davis appointed General Lee, February 6, 1865 (O. 
R., loc. cit., 1205). Lee accepted and took command on Febru- 
ary 9. In reply to a dispatch which has not been found, Davis 
wrote on February 10 a letter to General Lee which is most 
creditable to the President. He said: "... I have not 
failed to appreciate the burden already imposed on you as too 
heavy to enable an ordinary man to bear an additional weight. 
Your patriotic devotion I knew would prompt you to accept 
anything which was possible, if it promised to be beneficial 
to the country. The honor designed to be bestowed has been 
so fully won that the fact of conferring it can add nothing to 
your fame. . . ." (Ibid., 112^). During the brief remainder 
of the war. General Lee acted in an advisory capacity over the 
operations in the far South, to which numerous references will 
be found in this correspondence. He was careful, however, 
as has already been pointed out, not to restrict the movements 
of competent officers who were familiar with conditions un- 
known to him. He always allowed the commanders in the 
South the widest discretion and in reality discharged with 
authority the duties he had informally assumed during the 
campaign of 1864 at the President's request. Though his 
appointment to this post came too late to accomplish good, 
it had a salutary effect upon the spirit of the South. 



326 Lee's Dispatches 

a road can be worked advantageously & to its full 
extent without a regular schedule for running the 
trains — Under a temporary pressure it might be 
operated by special instructions by telegraph — I 
understood that the road was so operated while 
under charge of the Danville Compy, & I presume 
there is some reason for continuing it, but as soon as 
a fixed schedule can be established & regular connec- 
tions made with the roads north & south the better. 
I would also suggest that a competent Engineer with 
four or five hundred labourers be sent to ditch drain 
& repair the road along its whole extent. From the 
character of the present Sup'' I trust the road if once 
put in good order, will be efficiently managed/ 

I have the honour to be 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl 

^ The Piedmont Railroad, frequently mentioned in these 
dispatches, was a necessary link in the communications with 
the South after Lee abandoned his efforts to keep the Weldon 
Railroad open. The road in question was from Danville to 
Greensboro and gave much concern to the Government. In 
December, when Hoke attempted to proceed by it to North 
Carolina, he had great difficulty and lost three days in trans- 
porting a single brigade forty-eight miles. He urged upon 
General Lee the wisdom of seizing the railroad, repairing it and 
operating it directly (0. R., 46, 2, 1026-27). In January 
bad conditions were made worse by a disastrous flood which 
damaged the road-bed for twenty miles and made it impassa- 
ble. This mishap led to virtual starvation in Lee's army (ibid. , 
1034). The "Genl Martin" to whom reference is made in 
this letter was Brig. -Genl James G. Martin of North Carolina, 
at this time commanding the reserves in the Western District 



The Siege of Petersburg 327 

No. 183. 

Petersburg 21 Jan^ '65 
M"" President 

I have just rec^ the copy of the dispatch of the 20*^ 
from Genl Hardee, which you did me the honour to 
send to me, in reference to his holding the city of 
Charleston. It would certainly be of great import- 
ance to hold the City in every point of view, but if it 
cannot be held successfully, it had better be evacu- 
ated. As to the requisite means Genl Hardee must 
judge. By contesting the advance of the enemy, col- 
lecting all the men in Georgia & S. C. his approach 
may be retarded, till the arrival of Genl Beauregard 
with forces from Hoods army.' 

Very respy your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
His Exc^ Jefferson Davis 

Pres: C. States 

of North Carolina under Lieut. -Genl T. H. Holmes. He had 
seen service in Virginia during the campaign of 1864 (see 
C.M.H.,4,332ff.). 

^ With the Trans-Mississippi Department cut ofT, with no 
effective opposition to the Federals in Alabama and Mississippi, 
with Georgia overrun and with Hood impotent in Tennessee, 
the only hope of the Confederates was to draw in their forces 
before the northern advance of Sherman and to consolidate 
all of them in one compact fighting force. When Lee was 
forced to evacuate the Petersburg-Richmond lines in April, 
his plan was to carry his troops to meet Johnston in North 
Carolina. Charleston, the defence of which is discussed in 
this dispatch, had to be evacuated on February 18 after it had 
been completely isolated. 



328 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 184. 

H-^Q^s AN Va 

28'^ Jany 1865 
His Exc^ Jeff^ Davis 
Presd* C States, 
Richmond, 
Mr President 

I beg leave to repeat the suggestion I made to 
you in Richmond with reference to the publica- 
tion of a stringent order requiring all cotton, to- 
bacco & naval stores to be burned to prevent them 
from falling into the hands of the enemy.' I think 
the acquisition of these commodities, especially 
cotton, is greatly desired by the enemy for many 
reasons, as is shown by the seizure of all they can get 
access to, and by the intimation of their willingness 
to encourage the trade in it. I think if an order were 
issued, and published in all the papers, directing that 
all cotton &c in places exposed to the enemy, be 
stored in such a way that it can be fired on his 
approach without endangering other property, and 
that when this cannot be done for want of time, that 
it be burned in the streets and roads, at the same time 
holding military commanders responsible for the 
faithful execution of the order, it would have a very 
good effect in enabling us to make arrangements to 
render our cotton &c available as it is desired to do. 
The enemy would see that they can only get the 
cotton on the terms we propose, and besides, I think 

^ Cj. supra, No. 1 80 and note i . At Savannah alone, Sher- 
man had captured approximately 25,000 bales of cotton. 



The Siege of Petersburg 329 

it very desirable to prevent him from getting it on 
any other.^ 

With great respect, 

Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl 

No. 185. 

H^'-QRs: Petersburg 29 Jany '65 
M"" President 

In a dispatch rec'^ from Genl Early to-day, he 
states that Major M^^Donald comm^ the picket line 
on Lost river, reports from information rec'^ from his 
Scouts, "that a large portion of Thomas Army is 
passing over the Bal: & Ohio R.R. to Grant." I 
have directed him to ascertain the truth of the report. 
A grand movement was announced in a N. Y. paper 
sometime since on the part of Thomas, (about the 
time that Hood was reported to have crossed the 
Tennessee,) which indicated his appearance in an- 
other quarter. Since that the Northern papers 
asserted that he was going into Winter qrs: & 
further operations need not be expected from him 
for some time. The latter report may have been 
intended to call attention from the former. I think 
it probable that in the present condition of the army 
of Tennessee Grant may determine to strengthen his 

^ This policy was pursued at Columbia and at Petersburg, 
where much cotton and tobacco respectively were stored. 
On the evacuation of Richmond, the destruction of tobacco 
probably led to the memorable fire that laid in ashes the 
business section of the city. 



330 Lee's Dispatches 

own with a portion of Thomas, to enable him to 
operate against Richmond. His present force is so 
superior to ours, that if he is reinforced to any extent, 
I do not see how in our present position he can be 
prevented from enveloping Richmond. Such a com- 
bination is his true policy & therefore I fear it is true. 
It is possible however that these troops may be a part 
of Shermans on the way to him. I saw it stated, that 
parts of two corps were in Nashville preparing to 
join him. Reinforcements to Sherman would be 
almost as bad in its consequences as to Grant — A 
few days I presume will discover the movement ' 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl 
His Exc'' Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C. States 

No. 1 86. 

H-'-QRS: 30 Jany '65 
M" President 

In my letter of the 2^ Inst : I informed you of the 
report of the Scouts west of the Valley, relative to the 
passage of troops over the Bal: & Ohio R.R. from 
Genl Thomas to Genl Grant. This report is con- 
firmed by Fitz Lees Scouts in the vicinity of Win- 
chester, who state that 1 5000 troops have passed over 

' These troops were Schofield's (Twenty-Third) corps. For 
further references to them, see 0. R., 46, 2, 1164, 1165, 1241, 
1299 and 1301. 



The Siege of Petersburg .331 

vSaid road going to Grant. A second dispatch from 
Genl Early states that Major Gilmer reports from 
Hardy Co that large bodies of troops from Thomas 
army are passing over the Bal: & Ohio R. R. & 
Northern Central, Eastward, estimated between 
twenty & forty thousand. The Wheeling Intelli- 
gencer of the 23''^ says ten or fifteen thousand of 
Thomas troops were in Bellaire awaiting trans- 
portation on B & R.R. I presume there is no 
doubt of the fact, & probably the delay in rec^ Mess" 
Stephens, Hunter & Campbell, is occasioned by the 
arrival of some of these troops in James river, which 
they do not wish disclosed.' Grant seems to be 
taking advantage of the condition of things with the 
West to bring all his troops East, & will probably 
move against Richmond the first opportune moment. 
Hoods army & the troops West of the Mississippi 
will have little to oppose them, & as they cannot 
operate there, they should be moved East as rapidly 
as possible — As stated in my former letter I fear 
with our present force here, Grant will be enabled to 
envelope Richmond, or turn both of our flanks & I 
see no way of increasing our strength.^ 

Very resp^ your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 

Genl. 
His Excy Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C States — Richmond. 

' Alexander H. Stephens, R. M. T. Hunter and James A. 
Campbell, then en route to the so-called "Hampton Roads 
Conference, " for which see Nos. 187 and 188 and notes thereto. 

^ This is frank warning of what Lee believed to be the inevi- 



332 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 187. 

H°-QRs: 30 Jany '65 
M'' President 

I rec'^ tonight the accomp^ letter from Judge 
Campbell, with the request that I would forward it 
to you by telegraph in cypher. As I could not get it 

table outcome of the operations against his army and in other 
parts of the South. After the battle of the Crater, July 30, 
the feint on Richmond, August 13, and the movement on the 
Weldon railroad, August 18, Grant settled down in front of 
Lee to await developments in the South which would subdue 
the army he felt himself unable to beat in the field. While 
Sheridan was harrying the Valley of Virginia and Sherman was 
preparing for his march to the sea, Grant remained in his 
works. On September 29, however, he captured Fort Harri- 
son on the north side of the James at the cost of 2,300 men 
and held it in spite of Lee's effort to dislodge him. The engage- 
ment at Poplar Spring Church on September 30 and Lee's at- 
tack on Kautz' cavalry on October 7 were preliminaries to the 
battle of the Boydton Plank Road, mentioned above. " From 
this time on, " writes Grant, "the operations in front of Peters- 
burg and Richmond, until the spring campaign of 1865, were 
confined to the defence and extension of our lines and to offen- 
sive movements for crippling the enemy's lines of communica- 
tion and to prevent his detaching any considerable force to 
send South. " But the end was in sight at the time of this 
dispatch. Grant was extending his line to Hatcher's Run, 
Early was on the defensive in the Valley of Virginia, opposition 
in Tennessee was almost crushed out and Sherman, having 
reached Savannah in December, was turning north to oppose 
Hardee in South Carolina and Johnston beyond him. With 
supplies cut off by the devastation of the Valley of Virginia 
and by the capture of the Weldon railroad, General Lee was 
forced to rely on the feeble communication south of Danville, 
This did not suffice to keep his men from starvation. 



The Siege of Petersburg 333 

to you in time for your action to-night, I have deter- 
mined to send it by a special messenger on the early 
train tomorrow, when I hope it will reach you as 
soon as it could be decyphered & placed before you if 
sent by telegraph. ' 

With great respect 
Your obt servt 
R. E. Lee 
Genl. 

His Excy Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C. States 



^ Judge Campbell was one of the Confederate commissioners 
designated to discuss possible terms of peace. His dispatch 
has not been found but it was probably a report of the confer- 
ence with the Federals at which request for a safe conduct to 
Washington was made in writing. The Federal correspond- 
ence regarding the famous Hampton Roads Conference will be 
found in 0. R., 46, 2, 505-513. Mr. Stephens' statement, in 
his Constitutional View of the Late War states the Confederate 
position fully. To all projects for peace during the early 
stages of hostilities, there had been the insurmountable 
obstacle of Lincoln's positive and repeated refusal to recognize 
the Confederate States or to treat with their representatives 
except as rebels. His first and unyielding demand was that 
the Confederates lay down their arms before talking of peace. 
President Davis was of all men the one who would least accept 
such terms, and he met the various advocates of peace with the 
insistent requirement that decent recognition, at least as 
belligerents, had to be accredited the Confederate States before 
he cotdd discuss peace. The Hampton Roads Conference was 
brought about through the efforts of Francis P. Blair, Sr., 
of Missouri. Acting with Lincoln's knowledge and tacit 
approval, and proceeding under a Federal pass, Blair came to 
Richmond, had conferences with President Davis and proposed 



334 Lee's Dispatches 

No. i88. 

H°-QRS: 31 Jany '65 

His Excy Jefferson Davis 

PrCwS: C. States — Richmond 
M'' President 

I rec'^ from M"" Stephens this ev^ the following 
dispatch which he desired might be sent to you. 

"By note of invitation from Genl Grant Mess" 
Stephens, Hunter & Campbell left for City Point at 
5 o'clock this ev^, to meet at that point gentlemen 
expected there from M'' Lincoln. Should these 
gentlemen not arrive, Genl Grant promises to 
return Mr Stephens & party to our lines'" 

a plan by which he hoped it might be possible to unite the North 
and the South for a campaign against Mexico. Mr. Davis 
listened, considered carefully and sent Mr. Blair away with the 
assurance that the South would listen to any reasonable terms 
if respectfully presented. The negotiations to which these 
dispatches refer then followed. The Conference was held on 
February 3 but failed through Lincoln's refusal to consent to 
any peace the first terms of which were not an absolute and 
complete restoration of the Federal authority. See note to 
No. 188, infra. 

^ The correspondence between General Grant and the Con- 
federate commissioners, dated January 30, 1865, is printed 
in O. R., 46, 2, 297 and 312 as follows: 

Petersburg, Va., January 30, 1865. 
Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant: 

Sir : We desire to pass through your lines under safe conduct 
and to proceed to Washington to hold a conference with 
President Lincoln upon the subject of the existing war, and 



The Siege of Petersburg 335 

I have thought it better to send this by courier on 
the early train in the mor^ rather than by telegraph 

Very resp^ your obt servt 
R E Lee 
Genl 

with a view of ascertaining upon what terms it may be termin- 
ated, in pursuance of the course indicated in his letter to Mr. 
F. P. Blair of January i8, 1865, of which we presume you have 
a copy; and if not, we wish to see you in person, if convenient, 
and to confer with you upon the subject. 
Yours, very respectfully, 

Alexander H. Stephens. 

J. A. Campbell. 

R. M. T. Hunter. 

January 31, 1865. 
Hon. Alex. H. Stephens, 
Hon. J. A. Campbell, 
Hon. R. M. T. Hunter: 

Gentlemen : Your communication of yesterday, requesting 
an interview with myself and a safe conduct to Washington 
and return, is received. I will instruct the commanding officer 
of the forces near Petersburg to receive you, notifying you at 
what part of the line and the time when and where conveyance 
will be ready for you. 

Your letter to me has been telegraphed to Washington for 
instructions. I have no doubt but that before you arrive at 
my headquarters an answer will be received directing me to 
comply with your request. Should a different reply be re- 
ceived, I promise you a safe and immediate return within your 
own lines. 

U. S. Grant, 

Lieutenant-General. 

President Lincoln, it will be remembered, had dispatched an 
aide-de-camp, Major T. T. Eckert, to confer with the com- 
missioners and to state the conditions upon which they would 



3^6 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 189. 

H°-QRs: Petersburg 9 Feby '65 
M"" President 

A dispatch rec*^ from Genl Bragg today says he 
will leave Wilmington tomorrow to wait on you' 
Very resp^ your obt servt 

R E Lee 
Genl 
His Exc^ Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C. States 

No. 190. 

[Telegram] 

Dated Hd. Qrs. Armies C. S. Feb. 24th. 1865. 
Reed, at Richmond 5 O'Clock p.m. 

To His Excellency Jefferson Davis 
President. 
Hampton reports from Chesterville yesterday 
evening no enemy nearer than White Oak. A large 

be received. Although these conditions were not in accordance 
with the instructions of the Confederate commissioners, they 
waived the point and reported themselves ready for conference. 
But this was not accepted, and it was only at the insistence 
of General Grant, who showed an excellent spirit throughout, 
that the commissioners were eventually given a hearing. 

^ Bragg had been ordered to Richmond for conference. He 
was returned to his command beyond Wilmington, with 
instructions to co-operate with General Joseph E. Johnston in 
opposing the northward advance of General W. T. Sherman. 



The Siege of Petersburg 337 

force of Cavalry moved from Hopewell Church 
towards Rocky -mount ferry on Wateree. Butler is 
across river and Hampton will place himself in front 
of enemy, leaving a brigade to press his rear. Cheat- 
am on 22nd. was reported at Jones ferry on Ennonee. 
He and Stewart are marching via Unionville and 
Chest erville. Hardee is ordered to hasten his march 
from Cheraw. Genl. Beauregard thinks enemy's 
movements indicate march on Cheraw and Fayette- 
ville. ' Have suggested to Genl. Johnston that he 
may be endeavoring to reach Pedee Valley for 
subsistance. Hardee would then be in position, 
and that all provisions, stores, cattle &c. should be 
removed. Genl. Taylor reports from Meridian on 
15th. that twenty five (25) transports reached Vicks- 
burg on 13th loaded with troops under General 
Thomas "" 

R E Lee 
i4oW/Free 
H. T. 

' Reported in Beauregard to Lee, February 24, 1865 (0. R., 
47, 2, 1267). Several mistakes in names are made in the dis- 
patch as forwarded by General Lee " Chesterville " should 
be "Chesterfield," "Ennonee" should be "Ennoree," and 
" Cheatam" should be " Cheatham." 

^ Sent without comment, these items of news confirmed the 
gloomy forecast which General Lee made in a dispatch of Febru- 
ary 22, 1865, to the Secretary of War (0. R,, 46, 2, 1247) when 
he declared that the advance of Sherman must be stopped. 
Nothing could be done to strengthen the outlying, unprotected 
sections of the country, he stated "until I abandon James 
River. " He concluded: "You will see to what straits we are 
reduced; but I trust to work out. " 



33^ Lee's Dispatches 

No. 191. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. Mar 21/65. 
Hon. J. C. Breckenridge, 

Secy, of War. ' 

Genl. Vaughan reports this morning "that 
Thomas is at Knoxville, that three regiments and 
some negro troops are repairing the East Tennessee 
Railroad, and that enemy have commenced their 
advance. " 

Genl. J. E. Johnston, at 9.20 a.m., at Bentonville, 
reports: "that he is removing his wounded to 
Smithfield; — the enemy's entrenched position and 
greatly superior numbers, Sherman's army being 
in our front, make further offensive movements 
impracticable."^ 

R. E. Lee 

Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President 

By order 

J. A. Campbell 
Asst. Secy, of War. 

Mar 22/65. 

^ Succeeded James A. Seddon of Virginia on February 6, 
1865. The name is properly Breckinridge, but is frequently 
spelled Breckenridge in official correspondence. 

' This information was repeated in a dispatch from General 
Lee bearing date of March 22. Cf. O. R., 49, 2, 1 141. 



The Siege of Petersburg 339 

No. 192. 

[Telegram] 

Hd. Qrs. March 23. 1865. 
His Excellency 

Jefferson Davis 
President. 

Genl. Johnston at 1.30 p.m. today telegraphs 
from Smithfield "Sherman's whole army being 
entrenched in my front morning of 20th. we did not 
attack, but held our position to cover removal of 
wounded and occupy enemy. There was heavy 
skirmishing 20th. & 21st., and several partial attacks 
by him handsomely repulsed. Troops of Tennessee 
Army have fully disproved slanders that have been 
published against them Evening and night of 21st. 
enemy moved towards Goldsboro where Schofield 
joined him, and yesterday we came here. 

Sherman's course cannot be hindered by the small 
force I have. I can do no more than annoy him. 
I respectfully suggest that it is no longer a question 
whether you leave present position. You have only 
to decide where to meet Sherman."' 
Please give me your counsel. 

(Signed) R. E Lee 
[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 

Hd. Qrs. March 23. 65. 
Telegram in cypher. 

Reed. March 23. 65. 

' Printed in 0. R., 47, 2, 1453, with these words added after 
"Sherman " in the concluding paragraph : " 7 will be near him." 



340 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 193. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. March 24/65 
Hon. J. C. Breckenridge, 
Secy, of War. 
A scout just escaped from the prison barge off 
City Point reports fifteen monitors and forty-five 
gunboats above Bermuda Hundred.' He is a very 
bold man, but I think there must be some error in 
his report.'' 

R. E. Lee 
Respectfully submitted for the information of the 

President. 

John C. Breckenridge 

Secy, of War. 
Mar. 25/65. 

[Endorsedl 

Genl. R. E. Lee 

Hd. Qrs. March 24 1865. 

Copy telegram to Secy. War. 
A scout reports fifteen Monitors and forty-five 
Gun-boats above Bermuda Hundred. — There must be 
some error in his report. 

Reed. March 25. 1865. 

' Located on the James River just above City Point, the 
headquarters of General Grant. General Lee doubts that the 
enemy has as many vessels in the channel. 

^ With the correspondence of this date are two dispatches 
from F. G. De Fontaine, Charlotte, N. C, to the (Southern) 
Associated Press, as follows: 



The Siege of Petersburg 341 

No. 194. 

H^Q'^^ C S Armies 

26*^ March 1865 
His Exc^ Jefferson Davis 
President C States 
Richmond, 
Mr President, 

My dispatch of yesterday to the Secretary of War 
will have informed you of the attack made upon 



Charlotte 24th. 1865. 
Charlotte friday 24th. indebted to enterprise Southern 
Express Courier Augusta papers to 20th. no important Mili- 
tary movements reported. Capt. Dickinson Florida made 
Captures several officers men during late raid — Forrest placed 
Command all Cavalry, district Mississippi East La. West 
Tennessee his first General Order promises reorganization 
discipline and threatens extermination Confederate Stragglers 
Robbers deserters. Thomas's Troops being mounted for sup- 
posed march through Alabama — raids being made from Her- 
nando Mississippi towards Senatobia — Many Compliments 
of Kirby Smith in west. Wafford in command at Atlanta — 
reorganization in Georgia already commenced — reinforcements 
from Northern Mississippi sent to Grant. Large bodies of 
troops moving in west and important movements reported. 
Legislature of Mississippi about to convene in extra session 
said for purpose calling state convention. Message Governor 
Brown of Georgia commences by defence state against attacks 
of the Press for permitting Sherman march unmolested through 
state says she was abandoned to her fate neglected by Confed- 
erate Authorities and while her Army of able bodied Sons were 
held for defence of other States were denied privilege strike 
next blow for protection of homes. Georgia was compelled 
to rely upon few old men and boys claims golden opportunity 
lost for over-throwing Sherman, had he been resisted from start 



342 Lee's Dispatches 

a portion of the enemy's lines around Petersburg, 
and the result which attended it. I have been unwil- 
ling to hazard any portion of the troops in an assault 
upon fortified positions, preferring to reserve their 
strength for the struggle which must soon commence, 
but I was induced to assume the offensive from the 
belief that the point assailed could be carried without 
much loss, and the hope that by the seizure of the 
redoubts in the rear of the enemy's main line, I 

forced to fight and exhaust ammunition surrender would have 
been certain — recommends establishment of Militia System to 
be in no case turned over to Confederate Govt, but retain for 
home defence says only fourteen hundred and fifty exempts 
in state and mostly over age recommends passage law author- 
izing impressment provisions in hands of persons under bond 
to Confederate Government who refuse to sell surplus to 
indigent famiHes Soldiers complains that Confederate Agents 
can lock corn cribs & smoke house against State purchasing 
officer — referring to penitentiary says more than half convicts 
released to fight — since deserted — recommends death punish- 
ment for robbery, horse stealing, burglary, oppose arming 
slaves believes them more valuable in agricultural labors they 
dont wish to go in army and principal restraint now upon them 
is fear that if they leave enemy may make them fight. Com- 
pel them to take up arms and they desert by thousands what- 
ever may be our opinion of their normal condition or interests 
we cannot expect them to perform deeds of heroism when 
fighting to continue enslavement of wives and children. Not 
reasonable to demand it of them whenever we establish fact 
they are Military people we destroy our theory that they unfit 
to be free when we arm slaves we abandon slavery. Com- 
plains of usurpations of Confederate Congress in disproportion 
of Taxation and says much most objectionable legislation 
imposed upon by votes of men who act without responsibility 
to constituency . , . Army takes Government to task for 



The Siege of Petersburg 343 

could sweep along his entrenchments to the south, so 
that if I could not cause their abandonment, Genl 
Grant would at least be obliged so to curtail his lines, 
that upon the approach of Gen Sherman, I might be 
able to hold our position with a portion of the troops, 
and with a select body unite with Gen Johnston and 
give him battle. If successful, I would then be able 
to return to my position, and if unsuccessful I should 
be in no worse condition, as I should be compelled 

great Vanity alleged abuses such as illegal imprisonment arrest 
of Citizens without authority by provost guards the passport 
system and partiality of Government to men of wealth who are 
given nominal positions which keep them out of army while 
poor men boys forced into ranks — Animadverts severely 
upon Generalship of President and traces his Military career 
during war. Claims our Govt, now Military despotism drift- 
ing into Anarchy and that if present policy persisted in must 
terminate reconstruction with or without subjugation. Brown 
states utterly opposed to both but if he favored either he 
would give earnest support to President's policy as surest 
mode of diminishing our armies exhausting resources breaking 
spirits of our people and driving them in despair to seek refuge 
from worse tyranny by placing themselves under Government 
they loath and detest in case existing evils recommends re- 
peal Conscription act return to Constitutional mode of raising 
troops by States — observance good faith with Soldiers 
prompt pay abandonment of impressments and Secret Sessions 
and no more representation without Constituency and finally 
taken from President his power Commander in Chief Calls 
for Convention of States to amend Constitution and closes in 
following language — My destiny linked with my country if 
we succeed I am free man if by obstinacy weakness rules we 
fail common ruin awaits us all. The night is dark the tempest 
howls the ship is lashed with turbulent waves the helmsman 
is steering to the whirl pool — our remonstrances are unheeded 



344 Lee's Dispatches 

to withdraw from James River if I quietly awaited 
his approach. But although the assault upon the 
fortified works at Hair's Hill was bravely accom- 
plished, the redoubts commanding the line of en- 
trenchments were found enclosed and strongly 
manned, so that an attempt to carry them must have 
been attended with great hazard, and even if accom- 
plished, would have caused a great sacrifice of life in 

and we must restrain them or the Crew must sink together 
buried in irretrievable ruin. " 

No Alarm in Charlotte enemy reported moving in direction 
Camden Cheraw Fayetteville thought that raiders and not 
main column visit city — during retreat from Columbia train 
cars filled with ladies broke down enemy threatened Capture. 
Hampton with cavalry threw himself in position to defend 
them with the life of every man in his command. Hampton 
Butler Wheeler done most fighting on retreat main force not 
being generally engaged from best information western portion 
of Columbia burned supposed by Cotton ignited in streets 
reported extent of fire from Main Street to Charlotte Depot 
nearly three fourths of mile doubtful as to magnitude but 
positive as to some fire-persons preparing to return. 

F. G. De Fontaine 

Charlotte 25th. 1865. 
To the Associated Press : 

No additional News from front Still supposed Enemy 
making way North by Cheraw on Fayetteville. News from 
Columbia corroborated kind treatment inhabitants. Ursuline 
Convent protected by guard. No public property allowed 
burned in city private residences. Sherman's Hd. Qrs. 
Monday Nickerson's Hotel. Large force reported western 
portion city. Alarm Charlotte partially subsided. Weather 
bad roads heavy interfering with rapid military movements. 

F. G. DeFontaine 



The Siege of Petersburg 345 

the presence of the large reserves which the enemy- 
was hurrying into position I therefore determined to 
withdraw the troops, and it was in retiring that they 
suffered the greatest loss the extent of which has not 
yet been reported. I fear now it will be impossible 
to prevent a junction between Grant and Sherman, 
nor do I deem it prudent that this army should 
maintain its position until the latter shall approach 
too near. Gen. Johnston reports that the returns 
of his force of the 24th inst ; gave his effective infan- 
try thirteen thousand five hundred, i He must there- 
fore have lost, after his concentration at Smithfield 
about eight thousand men. This could hardly have 
resulted from the casualties of battle, and I fear 
must be the effect of desertion. Should this prove 
to be the case, I can not reasonably expect him to 
bring across the Roanoke more than ten thousand 
infantry, a force that would add so little strength to 
this army as not to make it more than a match for 
Sherman, with whom to risk a battle in the presence 
of Grant's army, would hardly seem justifiable. Gen 
Johnston estimates Gen Sherman's army, since its 
union with Schofield and the troops that were pre- 
viously in N CaroHna, at sixty thousand. I have no 
correct data upon which to form an estimate of the 
strength of Gen Grant's army. Taking their own 
account, it would exceed a hundred thousand, and 
I fear it is not under eighty thousand. Their two 
armies united would therefore exceed ours by nearly 
a hundred thousand. If Gen Grant wishes to unite 
Sherman with him without a battle, the latter after 
crossing the Roanoke has only to take an easterly 



34^ Lee's Dispatches 

direction towards Sussex, while the former moving 
two days march towards Weldon, provided I moved 
out to intercept Sherman, would render it impossible 
for me to strike him without fighting both armies. 

I have thought it proper to make the above state- 
ment to your Excellency of the condition of affairs, 
knowing that you will do whatever may be in your 
power to give relief/ 

I am with great respect 

Your obt servt 

R E Lee 
Genl 

^ This important letter supplements the meagre information 
given in the Official Records regarding the effect upon General 
Lee's plan of the attempt on Fort Stedman. On the morning 
of the 25th General Gordon made the attack, the details of 
which are given in General Lee's report of the same date to 
the Secretary of War, as follows (O. R., 46, i, 382-83) : 

Headquarters, 

March 25, 1865. 
At daylight this morning, General Gordon assaulted and car- 
ried enemy's works at Hare's Hill, captured 9 pieces of artillery, 
8 mortars, between 500 and 600 prisoners, among them one 
brigadier-general and number of officers of lower grade. 
Enemy's lines were swept away for distance of 400 or 500 yards 
to right and left, and two efforts made to recover captured 
works were handsomely repulsed; but it was found that the 
inclosed works in rear, commanding enemj'-'s main line, could 
only be taken at great sacrifice, and troops were withdrawn 
to original position. It being impracticable to bring off cap- 
tured guns, owing to nature of ground, they were disabled and 
left. Our loss reported is not heavy. Among wounded is 
Brigadier-General Terry, flesh wound, and Brig. Gen. Phil 
Cook, in arm. All the troops engaged, including two brigades 



The Siege of Petersburg 347 

No. 195. 
j^d_qrs. Petersburg 29 Mar '65 
M"" President 

I have rec*^ the telegrams of Genl Kirby Smith of 
the 24th Feby & 8*^ March, which you did me the 
honour to cause to be transmitted to me — As regards 
the first, I fear the physical difficulties mentioned by 
Genl Smith, of crossing the Mississippi at this time 
are real, & if so they cannot be overcome. When 
Genl Smith does cross the Mississippi, I see no neces- 
sity of his turning over the command of the Trans- 
Miss^' Dept to any one, & I did not understand it 

under Brigadier-General Ransom behaved most handsomely. 
The conduct of the sharpshooters of Gordon's corps, who led 
assault, deserves the highest commendation. This afternoon 
there was skirmishing on the right between the picket-lines 
with varied success. At dark enemy held considerable portion 
of the line farthest in advance of our main works. 

R. E. Lee. 
Hon. J. C. Breckinridge, 

Secretary of War. 

It is not too much to say that this attack on Fort Stedman 
determined General Lee's line of retreat from in front of 
Petersburg. Had he been able to shake Grant off, as he hoped, 
by this daring assault, Lee might possibly have withdrawn 
the greater part of his troops and joined Johnston. Whether 
or not such a movement would have even delayed the outcome 
may be questioned. At any event, the additions to Sherman's 
army and the reported weakness of Johnston rendered such a 
move neither desirable nor practicable after the failure to take 
Fort Stedman. The letter here printed deserves careful read- 
ing as a genuine contribution to the strategy of these dark days. 
As Grant continued steadily to extend his flank, threatening 
Lee's line of retreat, nothing remained but a withdrawal. 



34^ Lee's Dispatches 

was your intention for him to do so, but that his 
jurisdiction should embrace the Eastern bank of the 
river. If Genl Buckner can command the Dept: 
while Genl Smith visits Richmond, I think he could 
be entrusted with its direction, under the general 
controul of Genl Smith, while necessary for him to 
be on the East bank — Although the dispatch is 
obscure I infer that Genl Smith is contemplating a 
movement into Missouri, with which his crossing 
the Mississippi will interfere — If he has any prospect 
of maintaining himself in Missouri, so as to call off the 
troops operating to the East of the Mississippi it 
will have the same effect as to bring his army here 
to oppose them. That would produce a beneficial 
result — A mere expedition into Mo : similar to those 
previously undertaken, will give no material benefit — • 
I put little credence in the report from New Orleans 
of the expedition against Texas. It was doubtless 
circulated to cover the real movement against 
Mobile. It is the usual practice of the enemy — He 
could not raise as large a force as that represented 
& has only sufficient for one expedition.' 
With great respect 

Your obt servt 
R E Lee 

Genl 
His Exc^ Jefferson Davis 
Pres: C States — Richmond 

' General E. Kirby Smith, who was in command of the Trans- 
Mississippi Department, had for some time been isolated 
from the rest of the Confederacy and had been unable to give 
any co-operation. With good judgment the Federals had 



The Siege of Petersburg 349 

No. 196. 
[Telegram] 
(Copy) 
Head Qrs. March 29/65. 

Hon. J. C. Breckenridge, 

Secy, of War. 
Genl. R. Taylor telegraphs from Meridian, on 
the 28th., that the enemy has thrown a large force 
ashore on Eastern side of Mobile Bay, leaving nothing 
on West side. That he is ready to receive any attack 
he may make at Mobile. Enemy's Cavalry from 
Florida coast has struck Montgomery Railroad at 
Evergreen. Raiding expeditions are advancing from 
North and Northeast Alabama towards Selma and 
Montgomery, and another threatening prairie region 
from Memphis. Genl. Taylor will endeavor to 
destroy these detached columns before they advance 
far into the county or unite. He will use his force 
in keeping open communications with Mobile, or 
in reopening them, if interrupted.' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

maintained sufficient troops in the territory he occupied to 
keep Smith on the alert without giving him opportunity of 
demolishing the enemy and of taking the offensive in co-opera- 
tion with the Confederates east of the river. His 40,000 men 
were thus unable to assist in the final crisis. They were, how- 
ever, the last to surrender. 

* The Confederate forces in Alabama and Mississippi were 
badly scattered and at a disadvantage for all operations. 



350 Lee's Dispatches 

[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 

Hd. Qrs. March 29. 1865. 
Copy telegram to Sec. of War. 

Reporting movements of Enemy about Mobile, 
and No. Alabama ; and Genl. R. Taylor's preparations 
to counteract them &c. 

Reed. Mar' 29. 1865. 

Richard Taylor, commanding the Department of Alabama and 
Mississippi, had been ordered to send all the troops he could 
spare to join the army it was hoped could be organized in the 
Carolinas to contest Sherman's advance. Nathan B. Forrest, 
commissioned as lieutenant-general, was given the arduous 
task of defending with his cavalry the few positions left to the 
Confederates. He was also expected to protect civilians from 
the ravages of deserters and bush-whackers who infested the 
country. Before the end of the war, Taylor, Maury and 
Forrest were able to unite their forces but were forced to sur- 
render after Lee and Johnston had been compelled to lay down 
their arms. In the De Renne correspondence of this date 
appears the following : 

Augusta, March 29/65. 
Dr. W. S. Morris, 

Merriwether reports enemy three thousand strong advanc- 
ing on Montevallo, a station on the Blue Mountain line, 
fifty miles North of Selma. The officers on that line have 
been instructed what to do. Nettles is put in charge of the 
line and its repairs for the occasion. It is thought Genl. 
Forrest has sufficient force in the vicinity of Montevallo to 
stop them. Still fighting at Spanish Fort, without any result 
as yet. 

(Signed) J. B. Tree 

Genl. Supt. 



The Siege of Petersburg 351 

No. 197. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. March 29/65. 
Hon. Secretary of War. 

Vaughan's Scouts report that Stoneman with 
about four thousand Cavalry passed EHzabethtown 
on the Watauga and is going up the Watauga. He 
raay intend to cross by Lenoir to the Yadkin, or 
turn down New River into Grayson and the lead 
mines. The Chiefs of Bureaux should give orders 
for safety of their property. ' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

By order 
J. A. Campbell 
Asst. Secy. War. 
March 29/65. 

[Endorsed] 
Telegram 
R. E. Lee 
29 March 65. 

' General George Stoneman had originally been ordered to go 
into South Carolina and to return to East Tennessee by way of 
Salisbury, but owing to a delay in his start, was instructed by 
General Grant to move down the Virginia and Tennessee rail- 
road toward Lynchburg, destroying the line as he went (0. R., 
46, I, 46-47). He was driven back near Liberty and moved 
thence into North Carolina {ibid., 58-59). 



352 Lee's Dispatches 

No. 198. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. Mar. 30/65. 
Hon. Secy. War, 

Genl. Gordon reports that the enemy, at 11 p.m. 
yesterday, advanced against a part of his line de- 
fended by Brig. Genl. Lewis, but was repulsed. The 
line of Artillery and Mortars continued for several 
hours with considerable activity. No damage on 
our lines reported. 

The enemy still maintains his position West of 
Hatcher's Run, occupying Dinwiddie C. H. with 
Sheridan's Cavalry. Skirmishing was frequent along 
the lines to-day, but no serious attack. Part of 
Merritt's Division, under Genl. Gibbs, attacked 
Genl. Fitz Lee twice this morning at Five Forks, but 
was repulsed. About 3 p.m., Fitz Lee attacked him 
and drove him from his position, capturing a few 
prisoners. The force of the enemy West of Hatcher's 
Run consists of the fifth Corps, part of the second 
and part of the sixth, with Gregg's and Sheridan's 
Cavalry. ^ 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

* While Lee was making a last effort against the Federals 
at Fort Stedman, Grant was being strongly reinforced by 
Sheridan's cavalry, back from its house-burning expedition 
into the Valley of Virginia. Grant's first idea was to dispatch 
Sheridan to join Sherman but he had to abandon this plan 
because of the condition of the roads and streams. He 
thereupon determined to use Sheridan in the extension of his 



On the Way to Appomattox 353 

Resp. Submitted for the information of the 
President. 

By order 

J. A. Campbell 
Asst. Secy. War. 
Mar 30/65. 

[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 
30 March 65. 

No. 199. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. Mar 31/65. 
Hon. Secretary of War, 

Genl. Taylor reports enemy has commenced the 
siege of the Eastern defences of Mobile. Our fire, 

lines to Dinwiddie Court-house, confident that Lee's weakened 
army could not meet him. On March 27, he sent three divi- 
sions of the 24th and 25th Corps to Hatcher's Run and had the 
2nd and 5th Corps follow them. Sheridan's cavalry moved 
quickly to Dinwiddie Court-house. The movement here re- 
ported was a brilliant repulse of the Federal advance. On 
April I , however, Sheridan's cavalry and Warren's corps over- 
whelmed Pickett's division at Five Forks. The next day, the 
Federals broke through the line southwest of Petersburg and 
necessitated the evacuation upon which General Lee had de- 
cided. The retreat to Appomattox followed. For the effect 
of the battles of March 31 -April i on Lee's plans, see ijtfra 
No. 204. Major-General Fitzhugh Lee's report is perhaps 
the fullest for these final movements (0. R., 46, i, 1263-64, 
1298 ff.). 
33 



354 Lee's Dispatches 

so far, is superior. Our casualties few and slight. 
On the 28th. the Federal fleet attempted to co-oper- 
ate in the attack, but was driven off. One Monitor 
was sunk on the Western shore and gunboat disabled 
approaching the batteries. ' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

No. 200 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. Mar 31/65. 
Hon. Secretary War, 

Genl. Taylor, on the 30th., reports that the enemy's 
column from the Tennessee River is seventy miles 
from Selma."" 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 

' Mobile Bay had fallen into the hands of the Federals after 
the naval engagement of August 5 , 1 864 ; Fort Morgan, the main 
defence of the Bay, surrendered on August 23, 1864. Not until 
January, 1865, however, were operations begun against the 
land fortifications, by a force that outnumbered the defenders 
at least four to one. On March 17, the formal advance on the 
land side began and on March 27 the Spanish Fort was besieged. 
The city made a gallant defence and did not surrender until 
after the Spanish fort was taken on April 8. Major-General 
Dabney H. Maury of Virginia, the commander, was able to 
bring away most of his troops and later joined Richard 
Taylor and N. B. Forrest. His command surrendered with 
theirs to Canby on May 4, 1865. 

' This was a part of Wilson's raid on Selma, Alabama, under- 
taken while Maury was defending Mobile. Wilson moved in 
three columns, united his forces at the ford on the Black 



On the Way to Appomattox 355 

Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

By order 

J. A. Campbell 
Asst. Secy. War. 
April 1/65. 
[Endorsed] 

Copy Tel. 
Gen. R. E. Lee to Sec. of War. 
Hd. Qrs. Mar 31. 1865. 
Genl. Taylor reports movements of enemy against 
Mobile. 

Reed. April i. 1865. 

No. 201. 

[Telegram] 

(Copy) 

Head Qrs. Mar. 31/65. 
Hon. Secretary War, 

Finding this morning that the enemy was extend- 
ing his left to embrace the White Oak Road, Genl. 
Anderson placed three Brigades in position to repel 
him. Before the disposition was completed, the 
enemy advanced and was finally met by our troops 
and driven back with loss to his position near the 
Boydton Plank Road. Our troops were then with- 
drawn, and were followed by the enemy, who in turn 

Warrior and was able to hold his own against Forrest. He 
besieged and captured Selma and destroyed the important 
arsenal and foundry located there. 



35^ Lee's Dispatches 

drove us back to our lines. Our loss was not large, 
and we captured over four hundred prisoners. ' 

(Signed) R. E. Lee 
Respectfully submitted for the information of the 
President. 

By order 

J. A. Campbell 
Asst. Secy. War. 
April 1/65. 
[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 

Copy Tel. to Sec. War. 
Hd. Qrs. Mar 31. 1865. 

Operations of enemy on our right. 
Reed. April i. 1865. 

^ This engagement was simultaneous with the fighting 
around Five Forks. While Anderson was thus engaged, Lee, 
with three brigades from the right, was driving Warren across 
Gravelly Run. The advantage, however, was lost by the 
disaster at Five Forks. See No. 198, supra. 

With the correspondence of this date is the following, marked: 

"Copy of telegram dated Petersburg 2 p.m. March 31 to 
Dr. Morris, from the operator there." 

Operator at Anderson's Hd. Qrs. states we are driving the 
enemy rapidly. Genl. Picket who is on their flank or rear, has 
not yet been heard from, he promises us particulars this p.m. 
Will telegraph you again. 

(Signed) Taylor 
For his Excellency 

The President. 

R. G. H. Kean 
Chf . of Bu. of War. 

The correspondence also contains another private telegram, 
marked : 



On the Way to Appomattox 357 

No. 202. 
[Telegram] 

Dated Hd. Qrs. March 31 1865. 10 O'Clock p.m. 
To His Exc. Presdt. Davis, 

Will enquire whether Genl. Morgan' can be 
spared. Have notified Gov. Watts'" & requested 
him to name another suitable person if Genl. 
Morgan cant go. 

R. E. Lee 

[Endorsed] 

Genl. R. E. Lee 
31 March/65. 

"Copy of telegram from operator at Petersburg to Dr. 
Morris dated March 31. Reed. 2 p.m. " as follows: 

Heavy firing heard this morning in the direction of yester- 
day's battle. Cannonading not more audible owing to high 
wind blowing contrary direction. Genl. Pry or informed me 
about 10 o'clock that he left vicinity of Genl. Lee's Qrs. at 
dark last night, that he had then captured enemy's picket lines 
for purpose of making general disposition of his forces pre- 
paratory to general engagement this morning, that there was 
no doubt a severe battle would be fought to-day. If anything 
comes to hand deemed reliable, will send it immediately. 

A. F. Crutchfield. 
For his Excellency 
The President. 
R. G. H. Kean' 
Chf. of Bu. of War. 

' Brig.-Genl. John T. Morgan of Alabama. 

^ Thos. H. Watts, former Attorney-General, C. S. A., and 
from December 1863, Governor of Alabama. See No. 203, 
infra. 



35^ Lee's Dispatches 

No. 203. 

[Telegram] 

Dated at Hd. Qrs April i, 1865. 
Rec'd at Richmond 11 o'clock p.m. 
To His Excellency 
President Davis 

Brig Genl John E. Morgan can be spared for the 
purpose indicated by Gov. Watts He is not with 
his Brigade but Gov Watts knows where he is ' 

D. H. R. E. Lee. 



No. 204. 

H" Q"^^ C S Armies 

1st April 1865 
His Excy Jeff'' Davis 

Presd* C States 
Richmond 
Mr President, 

The movement of Gen Grant to Dinwiddle C. H. 
seriously threatens our position, and diminishes our 
ability to maintain our present lines in front of 
Richmond and Petersburg In the first place, it 
cuts us off from our depot at Stony Creek at which 
point, forage for the cavalry was delivered by the 

^ General John T. (not E.) Morgan had been "left with his 
command South of Atlanta to watch and harass General 
Sherman." He was probably wanted by Governor Watts "to 
raise regiments for the depleted ranks of the army" (C. M. 
H., 7, Ala., 429). 



On the Way to Appomattox 359 

Weldon R.R., and upon which we relied to maintain 
it. It also renders it more difficult to withdraw from 
our position, cuts us off from the White Oak road, 
and gives the enemy an advantageous point on our 
right and rear. From this point, I fear he can readily 
cut both the south side & the Danville Railroads 
being far superior to us in cavalry. This in my 
opinion obliged us to prepare for the necessity of 
evacuating our position on James River at once, 
and also to consider the best means of accomplishing 
it, and our future course. ' I should like very much 

' It is a tribute to Southern confidence in General Lee's 
ability that although he had suggested the possibility of the 
evacuation of Richmond in 1864 and had urged preparations 
to that end certainly from as early as February 25, 1865 
(O. R., 46, 2, 1257), the authorities did not take him at his 
word. The Secretary of War pleaded for more time; the 
President notified General Lee that removal on the evening of 
April 2, 1865, would mean "the loss of many valuables, both 
for the want of time to pack and of transportation." (See 
O. R., 46, 3, 1378, 1379). The Southern people could not 
believe that Lee would be forced to abandon the capital from 
which he had struck back every assault since the day he took 
command. Soldiers and civilians alike could not understand 
that any odds were too great for him or any obstacle insur- 
mountable. But as he explained in his dispatch regarding the 
attack on Fort Stedman, failure on that day removed his last 
hope of any other course than a retreat. The action at Five 
Forks and the pressure on his flanks rendered the necessity 
for retreat immediately pressing. When the Federals broke 
through his weak lines on April 2, he had to notify the Presi- 
dent that he would evacuate them the same night. A week 
later, April 9, his army was surrounded -and his brilliant days 
of warfare were at an end. 



360 Lee's Dispatches 

to have the views of your Excellency upon this 
matter as well as counsel, and would repair to Rich- 
mond for the purpose, did I not feel that my presence 
here is necessary. Should I find it practicable I will 
do so, but should it be convenient for your Excellency 
or the Secretary of War to visit H^ Q", I should be 
glad to see you. The reported advance of Stoneman 
from the West, and the movement of the enemy upon 
the Roanoke, add to our difficulties. 

Very respectfully 

Your obt serv't 

R. E. Lee 
Genl. 



INDEX 



Ajax, one of Lee's horses, 5 n. 

Alabama, Davis' tour through, 68 
n.; 170 n., 283 

Alexander, Brigadier-General E. P., 
Military Memoirs by, xxxiv; 
blames Jackson for miscarriage 
of Lee's plans, 33 n.; estimates 
Pope's forces, 50 n. ; gives valuable 
account of Gettysburg, 11 1 n.; 
quoted, 20 n.; cited, ion., 58 n. ; 
iii, 74 n. 

Alexandria, number of men re- 
ported at, July 25, '62, 37; 
commonwealth seat at, 163 n.; 
231, 232 

AUred, Private S. C, pardon asked 
for, 150 

Ambler, C. M., Ritchie's biography 
by, 241 n, 

Amissville, General Ripley at, 
August 29, '62, 59 

Ammunition, Federal, captured at 
Harpers Ferry, 63 n. 

Amnesty, recommended by Lee 
presumed on by men, 123 ; quoted, 
123 n. 

Anderson, General Richard Henry, 
Lee writes of, 10; biography of, 
in C. M. H., 10 n.; appointed 
Brigadier-General, 33 n.; given a 
division under Longstreet, 33 n.; 
division of, 35 n.; Colonel Smith 
attached to division of, 41 n.; 
division to Gordon sville, 47; 
division of, 51 n.; division Long- 
street's Corps, 58 n. ; and division 
join Lee August 30, '62, 58; and 
division return to Chancellors- 
ville, 90; commendation of, 92 n.; 
division of, 181 n.; repulses 
Federal assaults, 213 n.; ordered 
to Bermuda, 244; ordered to 

361 



Petersburg, 251; Georgia cavalry 

under, 274; drives back Federals, 

355; 33, 34 n., 192 n., 315 
Anderson's Corps, itinerary of, 172 n. 
Anderson's Ford, 200 
Andrews' battery of artillery joins 

Holmes, 24 n. 
Anna, North, the, Lee's army, south 

of, 194; Lee withdraws from, 

200; 193 n., 213 n. 
Anna, South, the, 193 n. 
Annapolis, Lee at, 159; Burnside at, 

159; 145 n. 
Annas, the (rivers), 192 
Antietam, campaign of, xxiv; for- 
mal beginning of campaign, 61 n.; 

Lee falls back on, 63 n. ; battle of, 

referred to, 65 n., 66 n.; General 

Rodes serves at, 89 n. 
Appomattox River, Lee's ride to, 

xxxii; General Rains on the, 9 n.; 

Butler "bottled up" at, 203 n.; 

hostilities carried to the, 22^ n.; 

"Howlett line" to, 306 n.; Lee's 

retreat to, 353 n.; xvi, xvii, 252 
Aquia Creek, General Burnside 

reaches, August 3, '62, 49 n.; 

troops required from, 54; railroad 

building at, 193; 47, 180 
Archer's brigade, 97 n. 
Areola, reference to, xviii 
Armistead's brigade in Anderson's 

division, 33 n., 58 n. 
Army organization, 81 et seq. 
Army of the Potomac, advance 

guards of, 228 n. 
" Army of Virginia, " Major-General 

Pope in command of, 37 n. 
Arnold, Private James, pardon 

asked for, 149 
Artillery, organization of, 73 et seq.; 

service, promotions in, 76 n.; 

comparison of Grant's and Lee's, 

184 and note 



362 



Index 



Ashby, Turner, 73 n. 

Ashby's "Laurel Brigade," B. H. 

Robertson commands, 43 n. 
Ashland, telegraph wires cut at, 17 

n.; 198, 202 
Ashton Creek, guard lines at, 252; 

"Howlett line" across, 306 n. 
Associated Press (Southern), 

quoted, 340 n., ff. 
Atkins, Captain, suggested for 

command of Wheats' battery, 36 
Atlanta, Wafford in command in, 

341 n.; 283 
Atlantic Coast Line, formerly the 

Petersburg & Weldon, 285 n. 
A Has, supplement to Official Records, 

xxxiii 
Atlee's Station, Lee's headquarters 

at, 201, 202 n.; position of, 202 n. 
Augur (General?), 186 
Augusta, General Young sent to, 

317 n.; 283 
AusterHtz, Chancellorsville com- 
pared to, xvii 
Averell, 168 n. 

Averell's raid, General Jones re- 
pulses, 125 n. 
Averill, General, joined by Hunter, 

217 
Aylett's, Sheridan camps at, 221 



B 



"B Shop," or Ridley's Shop, 239 n. 

Baker, Colonel L. S., in command 
1st North Carolina, 71 n. 

Baltimore, 184 

B. & O. R. R., attempt to destroy, 
50, 50 n.; guarding of, 145 n.\ 
Early tears up, 288 n.; Thomas' 
army crossing, 329; 61, 143, 331 

Banks, Gen., commands corps in 
"Army of Virginia," 37 n. 

Banks' corps driven back at battle 
of Cedar Run, 53 n. 

Barnwell, Captain J. G., 75 n. 

Barringer's N. C. brigade ordered 
to Petersburg, 249 

Barton, General S. M., apparent 
failure of, 136; report of New 
Bern in O. R., 137 n.; relieved of 
command, 137 n.; report in C. 
M. H., 137 n. 

Barton's brigade joins Lee, 191 

Battle, Colonel, 147 



Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, 
by Davis, xxxiv; valuable articles 
on Gettysburg campaign, 1 1 1 n. 

Baxter Road, Johnson's line at, 
252 n. 

Bay's Mountain, R. R. at, 301 n. 

Beall, John Y., reference to, 304 n. 

Beall, General W. N. R., correspon- 
dence of, 323 n. 

Beauregard, General P. G. T., rec- 
ommends promotion of Colonel 
Jenkins, 34 n.; urges withdrawal 
by Lee, 189 n.; plans of, 196 n.; 
defending Petersburg, 196 n.; let- 
ter quoted, estimate of own force, 
199 n.; saves Richmond, 200 n.; 
position of, 203 n. ; receives special 
instruction from Davis, 204 n.; 
appointment with Lee, 204; letter 
of, to Davis quoted, 205 n.; loans 
reinforcements to Lee, 205 n.; 
size of army of, 205 and note; 
estimate of Federal forces, 208; 
sends Hoke to Lee, 210 n.; dis- 
patch to Lee quoted, 212 n.; 
uncertain of Butler's strength, 
214 n.; report to Lee quoted, 
214 n.; explains his position to 
Bragg, 215 n.; Ransom's bri- 
gade returned to, 224; three 
telegrams from Lee, June 16, 
quoted, 227 n.; reinforced by 
Hoke, 228 n.; Lee's telegram to, 
O. R., 229 n.; asks return Hoke 
and Ransom divisions, 233 n.; 
Hoke to, June 14, '64, 233 n.; 
Bragg to, June 14, '64, 233 n.; 
Hoke ordered to join, 235; dis- 
patch to Lee, 236 n.; abandons 
line at Bermuda Hundred Neck, 
236 n.; Ransom's brigade to 
join, 242; dispatch to Lee, 243; 
defense of Petersburg by, 246 n.; 
to Bragg, O. R., 248 n.; lines at 
Petersburg, 252; Bragg confers 
with, 310 n.; quoted, 233 n., 
252 n.; XX., 69, 140 n., 160 n., 
168 n., 172 n., 173, 175 n., 185, 
191 n., 192 n., 195, 199, 209 and 
note, 214, 313, 327, 337 

Beaver Dam Creek, McClellan at, 
4 n.; Jackson's troops reach, 16 n.; 
202, 203 n. 

Bee, General, succeeded by Whiting, 
264 n. 



Index 



363 



Belfield, 306 

Bell, J. W., biography of General 
Smith by, 42 n. 

Belle Plain, garrison for, 199 n. 

Bentcnville, Johnston at, 338 

Bermuda Hundred, left with small 
force, 218; army retakes lines at, 
248; gunboats at, 340, 191 n., 
251,277 

Bermuda Hundred Neck, Beaure- 
gard abandons line at, 236 n., 244 

Berry, Private Edmund, pardon 
asked for, 150 

Bethel, D. H. Hill at battle «f, 99 n. 

Biloxi, Whiting born at, 264 n. 

Black, Colonel J. L., in command 
1st South Carolina, 71 n.; com- 
mander 1st S. C. cavalry, 140 n. 

Black Warrior, 354 n. 

Blair, Sr., Francis P., tries to unite 
North and South, 333 n.; brings 
about conference, 333 n. ; 335 n. 

Bloody j^gle, Johnson captured at, 
164 n.; 177 n. 

Blue Mountain, Montevallo on the, 
line, 350 n. 

Blue Springs, Federals attacked at, 
298 

Boonesborough, Lee refers to, 65 n. 

Bothel, Private S. H., pardon asked 
for, 149 

Bottom's Bridge, Fitzhugh Lee at, 
212; Virginia reserves at, 242:215 
n. 

Bottom's Bridge, 215 n. 

Bowling Green, Va., Federals move 
on, 192; Sheridan camps at, 222; 

193 

Bowyer, C. E,, letter to Crowley 
quoted, 308 n. 

Boyd, Rev. A. H. H., arrest in 
Winchester, 163 n. 

"Boydton Plank Road," engage- 
ment at Burgess' Alill called, 
305 n.; Federals repulsed near, 
355; 332 n. 

Boyle, Major Cornelius, reports 
partial destruction of bridge, 300; 
provost-marshal, 300 n. 

Bracket, Private Wm., sentence of, 
remitted, 152 

Bragg, General Braxton, activity of, 
xii; move of, suggested by Lee, 
July, '62, 40; commander of 
Army of Tennessee, 40 n. ; victory 



of, at Murfreesboro, 68, 69 n.; 
friction between, and D. H. Hill, 
100 n.; Longstreet's corps on way 
to join, September 9, '63, 127 n.; 
telegram submitted to, 137; ap- 
pointed military adviser to Davis, 
137 n. ; suggestions to Cooper, 
168 n.; sends reinforcements to 
Lee, 215 n.; as military super- 
visor to Davis, 224 n.; in Rich- 
mond, 224 n.; to Beauregard, 
June 14, '64, 233; Beauregard to, 
O. R. , 248 n. ; Hampton's letter to, 
cited, 254 n.; food supply ex- 
hausted, 310; sent to Wilmington, 
310 n.; report of, 317; goes to 
confer with Davis, 336 and note; 
142, 165, 189 n., 200 n., 316, 324 
Dispatches and Telegrams from 

Lee to Bragg 
Regarding enemy's probable 
movements April 15, 1864, 158 
Regarding General McLaws, 182 
Regarding transfer of officers, 197 
Regarding rebuilding of Meadow 

Bridge, 201 
Regarding Beauregard, 204 
Regarding non-arrival of troops, 

206 
Reporting Federal fleet move- 
ments on James River, 207 
Route for General Hoke, 210 
Regarding Ransom's brigade, 223 
Acknowledging receipt of dis- 
patches, etc., 224 
Position of troops and Federals, 

June 14, '64, 234 
Movement of Hoke's division, 
surmises as to Grant's plans, 
June 14, '64, 234 
Acknowledging receipt of dis- 
patches, etc., June 15, '64, 235 ff. 
Concerning pontoon bridges, 

June 15, '64, 237 
Requests guns be sent from Rich- 
mond, 261 
Concerning Cutherill, June 29, 

'64, 262 
Concerning Grant's position, 

July 7, '64, 277 
Reports position of Federals, 

July 28, '64, 287 
Discusses conscript service in 
Georgia, etc., September 10, 
'64, 296 flf. 



364 



Index 



Branch, General Laurence O'Brien, 
bravery of, 39 n; spoken of by- 
Lee, 39; commander of brigade, 
39 n.; killed at Sharpsburg, 39 n. 
Brandy Station, 73 n., 113 
Braxton's (Brown's) battalion, 140 

n. 
Breckenridge, General John C., 
calls for reinforcements, 180; 
posted at Hanover Junction, 189; 
guards main route to Richmond, 
194; order to, quoted, 194 n.; 
disabled by fall, 216 and note; 
ordered to Western Virginia, 
217 n.; value of, in rallying troops, 
etc., 219; reports engagement at 
Saltville, 299 ; Lee to, cited, 300 n. ; 
reports R. R. bridge burned, 301 ; 
successor to Seddon, 338 n.; 
report from Lee, quoted, 346 n.; 
168 n., 218, 309 n. 
Dispatches and Telegrams from 

Lee to Breckenridge 
Vaughn's and Johnston's report 
on Federal moves, March 21, 
'65, 338 
Report of scout, March 24, '65, 

340 
Reporting movements of Fed- 
erals about Mobile, March 
29, '65, 349 
Report of Vaughn's scouts, March 

29, '65, 351 

Reporting Federal movements 
around Hatcher's Run, March 

30, '65, 352 

Reports siege of Mobile, 353 
Taylor reports movement against 

Mobile, 354 
Reporting operations of Federals, 

355 
Brick House, 207 
Bridge Road, 201 n, 
Bristoe Station, Jackson captures 

cars at, 54; engagement at, i7on. 
Bristol, Johnson's brigade ordered 

from, 168 n. 
Brown, Colonel H. A., 140 n. 
Brown, Governor, of Georgia, 341 n., 

343 n. 
Brown Roan, one of Lee's horses, 

5 n. 
Buckner, General, 348 
Budges, Private Alarion, sentence 

on, remitted, 153 



Buff, Private Henry, sentence on, 
remitted, 152 

Bull Run, Pope driven beyond, 61 n. ; 
battle of, see Manassas 

Bull's Gap, Federals retreat to, 299; 
R. R. crosses, 301; Federals 
evacuate, 302 

Bureau of Conscription, 294 

Bureaux, chiefs of, 351 

Burgess' Mill, engagement at, 305 
and note 

Burkevillc, on route for supplies, 
178 n.; 183 n. 

Burnside, General AmbroseE., refer- 
ence to, XX ; Lee sets trap for, 
XXV ; supposedly reinforced, 24 n.; 
deserters from, join Lee's forces, 
47; supposed to have joined Pope, 
49; leaves Newport News, 49 n.; 
Lee thinks, at Fredericksburg, 
66; appointed commander-in- 
chief, 67 n.; a criticism on, 67 n.; 
disastrous movements of, De- 
cember, 1862, 67 n.; made com- 
mander of Department of Ohio, 
84; supposed to have gone to 
Kentucky, 84; "mud march" of, 
87 n.; at Annapolis, 159; at 
Centerville, 167; dispatch to, cap- 
tured, 198; dispatch to, quoted, 
199 n.; position of, 272; 145 n., 
160 n. 

Burroughs' cavalry, 13 n. 

Butler, Colonel M. C, in command 
2d South Carolina, 71 n. 

Butler, General Benj. F., the " tyrant 
of New Orleans," 171 n.; ad- 
vances up James JRiver, 174; 
bragging remark of, 175 n.; cuts 
off Confederate line of supplies, 
178 n.; reinforcements sent to, 
179; movement against, 191 n.; 
strength of position of, 195; 
estimated force needed to check, 
199 n.; success at Fort Darling, 
199 n.; dispatches troops to 
Grant, 205 n.; at West Point, Va. 
207; sends men to Grant, 207 n.; 
opposes Hoke, 214; Beauregard's 
estimate ot force of, 214 n.; plans 
to hold, 230 n.; driven back by 
Lee, 246 n.; burns part of R. R. ; 
254 n.; expedition under, 316 n., 
sent to South Carolina, 316; 196, 
236, 272, 337, 344 n. 



Index 



365 



Byrd, Colonel William, McClellan's 
headquarters at home of, 26 



C. and O. Railroad, see Virginia 

Central R. R. 
Calendar of Confederate Papers, 

Freeman, cited, 214 n. 215 n., 

323 n. 
Camden, Federals reported near, 

344 n. 
Campbell, Judge James A., letter 

from, 332; goes to City Point, 

334; letter of, quoted, 335 n. 

letter to, quoted, 335 n.; 331 and 

note 
Canada, 303 
Canby, Major-General E. R., 

Maury, Taylor, and Forrest 

surrender to, 354 n. 
Cape Fear River, Whiting in charge 

at, 264 n.; 308 n., 316 n. 
Capers, Lt. -Colonel H. D., letter of, 

160 
Carpenter's Battery reinlists, 139 
Carrington's Battery, 77 n. ; reinlists, 

139 

Carter, Colonel, artillery of, 251 

Cedar Mountain, battle at, 47 n.; 
letter found concerning battle of, 
53; Lee refers to battle of, 64 n. 

Cedar Run, see Cedar Mountain 

Cemetery Hill, 114 n. 

Centerville, Lee believes enemy 
concentrating at, 56; Federals at, 
62 n., 167 

Chaffin's Bluff, General Holmes and 
General Wise at, July, '62, 23; 
Wise sends men from, 24 n.; 
an important position, 209; Ran- 
som's brigade at, 236; pontoon 
bridge at, 237; 305 and note 

Chambersburg, McCausland's raid 
on, 288 n. 

Chambliss, General John R,, 166 n., 
249 

Chambliss' brigade, 166; Lee asks 
for, 258 

Chancellorsville, compared to Aus- 
terlitz, xviii; Lee's campaign at, 
xxi; loss of Jackson at, xxvii; 
campaign of, 85 n., 104 n.; 
relating to battle of, 87 n., 88 n.; 
Hooker reaches, April 30, '63, 



88 n. ; General Rodes in battle of, 

89 n.; Lee returns to, May 7, '63, 
90; fatahties of, 92 n.; General 
Heth at, 93 n. ; Pender's valor at, 
96; xvii, 64 n., 90 n., 152 

Chantilly, skirmish at, 83 

Charles City Road, General Huger 
on the, 21 ; enemy's batteries on, 
26; Lee's headquarters moved to, 
239 

Charleston, Lee plans defence of, 
xix; coast-defence work at, 4 n.; 
Whiting assigned to, 264 n.; 
affairs in, 313; evacuated, 315 n.; 
Hardee's dispatch in reference to, 
327; 160 n. 

Charlotte, dispatches from, 340 n.; 
344 n. 

Charlottesville, cavalry sent to, 
221 n.; Ewell goes to, 240; 159, 
160 n. 

Chase, Salmon P., resignation of, 
272 and note 

Cheatam, General Benjamin F., 
reported at Jones Ferry, 337 

Cheraw, Hardee ordered from, 337; 
Federals moving via, 344 n. 

Cherrystone, 270 

Chesapeake, 271 n. 

Chester, 261 n. 

Chesterville, General Hampton at, 
336; line of march via, 337 

Chestney, T. O., W. T. Robins to, 
cited, 277 n. 

Chickahominy River, The, McClel- 
lan's death-trap, ix; McClellan 
at, 4 n.; rains make impassable, 
8 n. ; enemy thought to be cross- 
ing the, 18; enemy driven from 
left bank of, June 29, '62, 19; 
Lee burns bridges on, 20 n.; 
Ewell's division sent down the, 
June 27, '62, 20 n. ; crossed by 
Meadow Bridge, 201 n. ; Con- 
federate position at, 212; strongly 
guarded by Fitzhugh Lee, 213; 
Long Bridge on the, 233 n.; 
Federals cross, 239; xxii, 20 n., 
189 n., 195, 196 n., 203 n., 227, 
228 

Chickamauga, General Stewart at, 
243 n. 

Chilton, R. H., Ass't. Adj. General, 
reports location of headquarters, 
June 26, 1862, 17 



366 



Index 



Chronicle, The, cited, i86 

Cincinnati, Society of the, i6i 

City Point, Confederate commis- 
sioners go to, 334; scout from, 
340; 277 

Clarke's Mountain, signal officer 
on, 166; 172 n., 

Clingman's brigade of Hoke's 
division, 210 n. 

Cloyd's Farm, battle of, 199 n. 

Cobb, Major-General Howell, 42 n.; 
cavalry organized by, 127 

Cobb's (Georgia) Legion of Hamp- 
ton's brigade, 71 n. 

Cofiman, Private B. F., sentence on, 
remitted, 151 

Cold Harbor, Grant's tactics to, 
viii; Lee at, xxxi; General A. P. 
Hill on road to, June 27, '62, 18; 
Jackson on road to, June 2^, '62, 
1 8 ; battle of, 1 9 n. ; effect of battle 
at, 196 n.; battle of, 213 n.; Grant 
moves from, 221 n.; battle of, re- 
ferred to, 266 n.; ix, xvii., 79 n., 
20-^ n., 227 n. 

Cole, Lt. -Colonel, 288 

Colemans, Lee's headquarters at, 
212 

Collingwood, Lord Cuthbert, friend- 
ship with Nelson cited, xxiii 

Collins, Major, reports to Lee, 100 

Colquitt's brigade of Hoke's di- 
vision, 210 n. 

Columbia, captured, 315 n.; goods 
destroyed in, 329 n.; partially 
burned, 344 n. ; retreat from, 344 
n. 

Confederate Congress, abolishes par- 
tisan rangers, 133 n.; 325 n., 342 n. 

Confederate Military History, Whit- 
ing's biography in, vi; Feather- 
ston biography in, 9 n. ; sketch of 
General Rains in, 9 n. ; biography 
of G. J. Rains, 9 n.; biography of 
R. H. Anderson in, ion.; Huger's 
biography in, 11 n.; Anderson's 
biography in, 11 n.; biography of 
W. H. C. Whiting, 12 n.; Smith's 
biography in, 14 n.; General 
Rodes' career in, 89 n. ; life of 
Junius Daniel in, 100 n.; Barton's 
report in, 137 n.; Johnson's 
biography in, i64n.; Alexander P. 
Stewart in, 243 n.; Ewell's in- 
juries cited, 256 n.; General 



William H. C. Whiting cited, 

265 n.; Johnson's report in, 279 n.; 

cited, 288 n., 305 n., 327 n., 
Confederate Museum of Richmond, 

Miss Harrison of, xxxviii 
Connor's brigade, 314 
Conrad, Robert Y., arrested by 

Confederates, 162 and note 
Conscription Act, repeal suggested, 

343. n-. 

Constitutional View of the Late War, 
cited, 333 n. 

Cook, Brig. -General Phil, wounded 
at Hare's Hill, 346 n. 

Cooke, J. R., biography of, xxxiii; 
Lee wishes brigade at Hanover 
Junction, loi n. 

Cooke's brigade, 92 n., 97 n.; Lee 
advises be sent to Hanover Junc- 
tion, June 7, '63, 102 

Cooper, General S., letter to, from 
General French quoted, 51 n.; 
Lee's report to, cited, no n.; to 
Lee in O, R., 129 n. ; Lee to, O, R., 
133 n.; suggestions from Bragg, 
168 n.; orders from, 242 n.;i8on., 
183 n. 
Dispatches and Telegrams from 

Lee to Cooper 
Concerning skirmish by Mosby, 

83 

Has directed Jenkins' and Whar- 
ton's brigades to report to 
General Jones, August 24, '63, 
124 

Reporting success of General 
Rosser, 134 

Concerning General Pendleton, 

137 
Announcing reinlistments, 138, 

139 

Cannot spare General Johnson, 
April 23, '64, 164 

Corley, Colonel James L., quarter- 
master-general Army of Northern 
Virginia, 246 and note 

Cornelius Creek, General Long- 
street ordered to, July 8, '62, 
32 n.; 238 

Corse's brigade ordered to rein- 
force Lee, 191 and note 

Cotton trading during Civil War, 
322 n. 

Courtney, Private D. C, sentence 
on, remitted, 151 



Index 



367 



Crater, battle of the, 272 n., 290 n.; 
reference to battle of the, 332 n. 

Crook, Gen. George, movements of, 
in Virginia, 180 n.; joined by 
Hunter, 217 

Cross Keys, battle of, 6 n. 

Crowley, J. W., letter to, quoted, 
308 n. 

Crutchfield, A. P., telegram from, 
quoted, 357 n. 

Crutchfield, Colonel S., 74 n. 

Culpeper Court House, enemy at, 
46; prisoners escape from, and 
bring news to Lee, 49; General 
Pope at, 49; Longstreet placed at, 
December, '62, 66 n.; Pickett 
ordered to, loi; Lee's head- 
quarters at, 102; Lee moves to, 
104 n.; Lee reaches, July 24, '63, 
106; Grant at, 145 n., 56 n., 169 n. 

Custer, General, near Old Church, 
207 

Cutherill or Catherill, 262; tele- 
gram concerning, 262 

Cutshaw's battalion, 140 n. 



D 



Dahlgren, Rear-Admiral John A., 
raids Richmond, 134 n. 

Daniel, John M., editor of the Ex- 
aminer, 241 n. 

Daniel, Colonel Junius, brigade 
moved, 23 n.; regiment with Hill, 
100 

Danville, a route for supplies, 177, 
178 n. ; R. R. from, to Greensboro, 
326 n. 

Danville Railroad, Lee pleads for 
improvement of, x; food carried 
on, 286; 292, 359 

Darby Town, General Longstreet 
at, June, '62, 21 

Davis, Brig.-General Joseph, suc- 
ceeds Heth at Gettysburg, 109 
n. 

Davis, President Jefferson, letter- 
book of, iv; relations with Lee, 
xi; correspondence of Lee and, 
xii; orders opinion of Hood, xiv; 
reply to letter in O. R., 27 n.; 
letters of, concerning Federal 
murders in O. R., 44 n.; letter to 
Lee, August 2, '62, quoted, 45 n. ; 
dispatch of September 3, '62, 



from Lee in 0. R., 60 n. ; letter to, 
from Lee, September 3, '62, 
quoted, 62 n. ; letter to, from Lee, 
September 21, '62, quoted, 64 n. ; 
ill-health of, 68 n.; effect of tour 
made by, 68; sends Colonel Lee 
to General Lee, 74 n. ; letter about 
promotions quoted, 92 n. ; report 
to, of June 7, '63, in O. R., loi 
n.; letter to Lee concerning 
Sam Jones in O. R., 103 n.; 
Lee's letter to, suggesting a new 
commander be secured, quoted, 
III n., 112 n.; answer to Lee's 
letter of August 8 in O. R., 1 13 n.; 
telegram of August 24, '63, re- 
ferring to Jones' application 
submitted to, 124; telegram of 
Decembers, '63, quoted, 130 n.; 
letter to, quoted, 131 n.; letter 
to, quoted, 159 n.; letter from 
Lee concerning Johnson, April 
28, '64, quoted, 164 n.; letter 
from Lee April 26, '64, O. R., 
165 n.; unable to visit army 
April 26, '64, 165 n.; Lee's letter 
of April 30, '64, quoted, 168 n.; 
letter of, quoted, 191 n.; warned 
by Lee, 193 n.; letter to, quoted, 
199 n.; forwards Lee's letter to 
Beauregard, 204 n.; Lee's letter 
to, cited, 248 n.; to Lee, quoted 
278 n.; to Lee, quoted, 317 
n.; letter to Lee quoted, 324 n.; 
appoints Lee General-in-Chief, 
325 n. ; letter to Lee quoted, 325 n. 
Dispatches and Telegrams from 

Lee to Davis 
Offer of horse declined, 3 ff. 
Detailed report to, June 5, '62, 

5 et seq. 
Concerning Anderson and Long- 
street, June, '62, 10 ff. 
Of skirmishing at Williamsburg 

Road, June 24, '62, 12, 13 
Concerning General Wm. D. 

Smith and order to General 

Huger, 14 
Of Jackson's movements and 

plans, June 26, '62, 15 ff. 
Giving location of headquarters, 

^7 
Supposition as to the enemy's 
position and plans, June 29, '62, 
ig etseg. 



368 



Index 



Davis, President Jefferson — Cont'd. 
Of the movements and pursuit of 

McClellan, July 2, '62, 22 et 

seq. 
Of General Stuart's dispatches 

and Lee's plans as to other 

commanders, July 3, '62, 24, 

25 
Report of enemy's position, 25 ff. 
Of enemy's position on James 

River and plans to oust him, 

July 9, '62, 28 ff. 
Recommends Colonel Jenkins as 

successor to General Anderson, 

July II, '62, 33, 34 
Of disposition of troops, July 25, 

'62, 34 ff. 
Position of enemy reported by 

spies, July 25, '62, 36, 37 
On ways and means of suppress- 
ing Pope, July 26, '62, 38 ff. 
Of correspondence with Colonel 

Smith, July 30, '62, 40, 41 
Of letter from General Jackson 

concerning cavalry commander, 

July 31, '62, 42, 43 
Means of communicating with 

McClellan; alleged murders, 

August 2, '62, 44 
Tells of sending letters to the 

enemy, August 4, '62, 45 
Of defenses, plans, and number of 

men, of position and strength 

of enemy, August 11, '62, 45 

et seq. 
Of supposed strength and move 

of enemy and suggestion as to 

placing of army, 49 ff. 
Of orders to General Smith to 

join him at once, August 24, 

'62, 52 
In reference to McClellan's army, 

August 25, '62, 52 
Sends letter concerning battle of 

Cedar Run, August 26, '62, 53 
Of attack on O. & A. R. R., asks 

for Hampton's cavalry, August 

27, '62, 54 
Enemy's attack repulsed and 

many prisoners taken, August 

29, '62, 55 
Progress of army movements of 

enemy, asks ammunition and 

troops, 56 ff. 
Reports victory of Manassas, 

August 30, '62, 59, 60 



Most of army across Potomac, 
will make effort to break up 
B. & O. R. R., September 8, 
'62, 61 

Acknowledges receipt of dis- 
patch, October 28, '62, 65 

Thinks Burnside and army at 
Fredericksburg, November 20, 
'62, 66 

On effect of Davis' tour, defense 
of Wilmington, disposition of 
General Hill, 68 et seq. 

Concerning General Milroy's 
"assessment orders," 70 

Concerning Hampton's brigade, 
yi et seq. 

On the organization of artillery, 
March, 1863, 73 et seq. 

Difficulties of transportation, 80, 
81 

On army organization, 81 

Supposed movements of Burnside, 
April 2, '63, 84 

Concerning disposition of troops, 
April 29, '63, 84, 85 

General Stuart supposed to have 
cut enemy's column taking 
prisoners, April 30, '63, 85 

Requests General Rodes suc- 
ceed D. H. Hill, General John- 
son in command of Trimble's 
division. May 7, '63, 87 ff. 

Attack by General Sedgwick, 
return to Chancellorsville, 
plans for attack on Hooker, 
May 7, '63, 90 

On promotion of his Generals, 
May 25, '63, 91, 92 

Suggestions for appointments. 
May 26, '63, 94, 95 

Promotions and Hill's report of 
operations at Kinston, May 
28, '63, 96 et seq. 

Regarding engagements, May 

15, '63, 97 
Of Hill's refusal to accept Lee's 

order, 99 
Reports reinforcements for 

Hooker and requests extra 

troops, June 7, '63, loi 
Of Early's attack and success 

at Winchester, June 15, '63, 

102 
Thanks for troops, and of the 

condition and position of the 

army, July 10, '63, 103 



Index 



369 



Davis, President Jefferson — Cont'd. 

Concerning withdrawal of army 
to south side of Potomac and 
the wounding of General Petti- 
grew, July 16, '63, 105, 106 

Reaches Culpeper with other 
corps following closely, July 
24, '63, 106 

Surgeon Mitchell sent to visit 
mother as requested, July 25, 
'63, 107 

Movements of enemy reported, 
Lee moving accordingly, July 
31, '63, 108 

Discussion of article concerning 
Gettysburg in Charleston Mer- 
cury, July 31, '63, 108 e< seq^. 

Reports Federal movements, 
plans for battle, reinforce- 
ments, August I, '63, 112 fT. 

Recommending Brig. -General C. 
M. Wilcox for successor to 
General Pender, other promo- 
tions Spoken of, August I, '63, 
115 flf. 

Concerning consolidation of regi- 
ments, August 5, '63, 118, 119 

Concerning transfer of regiments 
and commanders, August 10, 
'63, 119 et seq. 

Plans to stop numerous desertions 
from army, August I7, '63, 122 
ff. 

Of General Jones' movements, 
August 30, '63, 125 

Forwards papers for judgment 
(contents not known), Septem- 
ber 8, '63, 126 

Reports troops on way to Han- 
over Junction, September 9, 
'63, 126 

Suggestions for changes in com- 
mands, October 2, '63, 127 fif. 

Enemy crossing at IVIorton's Ford, 
requests General Rodes be 
returned to him, December 6, 
'63, 129, 130 

Acknowledging orders, Decem- 
ber 7, '63, 130 

Comments on desertion of men 
for Morgan's ranks, sugges- 
tion for punishment and re- 
storing of same, January 20, 
'64, 131, 132 

Asks if troops are wanted at 
Richmond, February 3, '64, 133 



Enemy reported at Morton's 
Ford, February 7, '64, 136 

Regarding supposed Federal 
plans, March, '64, 140 if. 

Regarding investigation of com- 
plaints, April, '64, 146 et seq. 

Regarding remission of death 
sentences, 149 ff. 

Regarding clemency in cases of 
desertion, 154 et seq. 

Concerning Society of the Cin- 
cinnati, 160 fT. 

Concerning molesting of private 
citizens, April 22, '64, 162 flf. 

Asked to visit army, April 24, '64, 
165 

Federals' move delayed, April 25, 
'64, 166, 167 

Federal movements, April 30, '64, 
167 

Federals moving towards Rich- 
mond, asks for more troops, 
May 4, '64, 169 et seq. 

Detailed report and plans. May 
9, '64, 174 et seq. 

Regarding supplies and the de- 
fense of Richmond, May, '64, 
177 

Regarding General Butler's 
troops, 179 

Regarding reinforcements for the 
"Valley," 180 

Detailed report on Federal posi- 
tion. May 18, 1864, 183 et seq. 

Regarding Federal position and 
condition, 186, 187 

Urging reinforcements, 187 

Acknowledging telegram, 188 

Detailed movements of troops, 
May 22, 1864, 190 et seq. 

Report of position and estimate 
of enemy's plans, 194 et seq. 

With captured dispatch from 
Grant and plans to meet 
Federal movements, 198 ff. 

Reporting information received 
about Federal movements, 202 
flf. 

Reporting conference with Beau- 
regard, 205 

Details of conference with Beaure- 
gard, 208 flf. 

Telegram to, quoted, 209 n. 

Regarding illness of Echols, 211 

Detailed report, June 3, '64, 212 
et seq. 



370 



Index 



Davis, President Jefferson — Cont'd. 

Forwarding dispatches; regard- 
ing transportation for Brecken- 
ridge, 215 

Regarding commanding officer 
for the "Valley" and move- 
ments of Federals, 216 et seq. 

Regarding disposition of troops 
and Federal movements, 219 ff. 

Regarding movements of Sheri- 
dan and Grant, 221 et seq. 

Reporting Federal movements, 
engagements, and future plans, 
226 et seq. 

Supposition as to Federal posi- 
tion, plans for placing army, 
June 14, '64, 232, 233 

Concerning moving of troops, 
June 15, '64, 238 

Reports new moves of army, 
June 15, '64, 239 

Concerning suppression of army's 
moves in papers, June 15, '64, 
240 

Discusses moves and successor to 
Polk, June 15, '64, 242 

Concerning Beauregard's dis- 
patch and moves made neces- 
sary by same, June 16, '64, 
243 ff. 

Concerning shortage of food, 
June 16, '64, 246 

Concerning supposed moves of 
Federals and changes made in 
position of troops, June 18, '64, 
249 

Defense of Richmond, other 
moves of army, June 19, '64, 
250 et seq. 

Opening of R. R., position of 
Federals, June 21, '64, 253 et 
seq. 

Williams in charge at Howlett's, 
June 21, '64, 257 

Acknowledging receipt of letters 
and suggestions to stop ma- 
rauding bands, June 26, '64, 
259 ff. 

Concerning letters of General- 
Whiting, June 30, '64, 263 

Repeats reports of battles from 
Philadelphia Inquirer, July i, 
'64, 265 ff. 

Discusses advisability of cavalry 
under one head, July 2, '64, 
268 



Plans to release prisoners, July 
3, '64, 269 ff. 

Enclosing a Herald with com- 
ments on news, July 4, '64, 272 

Discusses possibilities for re- 
inforcements, July 5, '64, 273 ff. 

Tells plans of Wood's expedition, 
July 5, '64, 275 

Means of discovering Federals' 
whereabouts, July 6, '64, 276, 

277 , . ^ 

Acknowledging receipt of letter, 
etc., July 8, '64, 278 

Sending N. Y. Herald with com- 
ments on news, July 10, '64, 
279 

Discusses conditions in South 
Carolina, July 12, '64, 280 ff. 

Acknowledging receipt of tele- 
gram, etc., July 12, '64, 282 

Reports victories and discusses 
change of commander, July 12, 
'64, 283 

Concerning transportation of food, 
July 21, '64, 283 

Requests soap, August 9, '64, 288 

Federals get piece of Weldon R. 
R., plans to oust them, food 
supply exhausted, August 22, 
'64, 289 et seq. 

Discusses enrolling of all able- 
bodied men, September 9, '64, 
293 ff. 

Concerning enterprise of Mr. 
Stewart, October 25, '64, 302 ff. 

Concerning General Laws' com- 
plaints, etc., November 2, '64, 
304 ff. 

Concerning meat, December 14, 

'64, 307 

Bragg's food supply exhausted, 
December 22, '64, 310 

Discusses evacuation of Charles- 
ton, January 8, '65, 312 ff. 

Acknowledging receipt of General 
Hardee's dispatch, etc., Janu- 
ary 10, '65, 314 ff. 

Sends Butler's division to South 
Carolina for winter, etc., Janu- 
ary 15, '65, 316 ft". 

Suggests exchange of goods for 
necessities be systematized, 
etc., January 18, '65, 318 et 
seq. 

Concerning extension of duties, 
January 19, '65, 322 



Index 



371 



Davis, President Jefferson — Cont'd. 
Concerning regulation of Pied- 
mont R. R., January 20, '65, 

324 

Acknowledging receipt of Hardee's 
dispatch, January 21, '65, 327 

Asks goods be destroyed to pre- 
vent helping Federals, Janu- 
ary 28, '65, 328 

Supposed Federal movements, 
January 29, '65, 329 ff. 

Confirms report of Federal move- 
ments, January 20, '65, 330 

Enclosing letter from Judge 
Campbell, January 30, '65, 332 

Quotes Stephens' dispatch, Janu- 
ary 31, '65, 334 

General Bragg leaving Wilming- 
ton, February 9, '65, 336 

Reported Federal movements, 
February 24, '65, 336 

Quotes Johnston's report, March 

23, '65, 339 
Reports attack on Federals 

around Petersburg, etc., March 

26, '65, 341 et seq. 
Discusses telegrams, March 29, 

'65, 347 ff. 
Regarding General Morgan, 

March 31, '65, 357 
Regarding General Morgan, April 

I, '65, 358 
Asks advice for meeting Grant's 
move to Dinwiddie, April i, 
'65, 358 ff. 

Davis' Legion, reinlists, 139 

De Renne, Mr. W. J., owner of 
Lee's letters and telegrams, xxxv; 
papers, 60 n.; collection of gives 
new light on Gettysburg cam- 
paign, 104 n.; correspondence on 
"left flank" movement, 172 n. 

Dearing, General, 136 

Dearing's brigade, 316 n. 

Death sentences, Lee requests repeal 
of, 149 ff. 

Deserter betrays Jackson's plans, 
16 n.; brings a Herald to Lee, 
272 

Deserters, from Burnside join Lee, 
August II, '62, 47; many, from 
regular army to join Morgan's 
ranks, 131, 132, 132 n. 

Desertion, in Confederate army be- 
comes serious, 122 ff.; methods 
of dealing with, 150 n.; sentences 



for, 149, 150; Lee's attitude 
toward, 154 et seq.; statistics 
quoted, 157, 158 n. 

Deshler, Colonel James, suggested 
for promotion, 117 

Despatch Station, Ewell's division 
at, June 27, '62, 20 n. 

"Detailed men," explanation of, 
295 n. 

Detaille, Meissomer or Edouard, 
referred to, xxv 

Dickinson Captain, 341 n. 

Dickinson's Mill, Lee's headquar- 
ters at, 190 

Dinwiddie, Federals at, 352; Sheri- 
dan at, 353 n. ; General Grant at, 
358 

Dispatch, the, used by Federals, 
241 n. 

District of Western North Carolina, 
reserves of, 281 n. 

Dix, U. S. A., John, violation of 
agreement with General Hill for 
exchange of prisoners, 44 n. 

Dobbs House, Lee's headquarters 
at, 15, 32 

Donaldson ville battery, 140 n. 

Dooly, William, arrested as spy, 
162 n. 

Dorton, Private W. H., sentence on, 
remitted, 152 

Doswell, see Hanover Junction, 190 

Dragoons, 2d, Anderson with, ion. 

Drewry's Bluff, Generals Holmes 
and Wise at, July, '62, 23; Lee to, 
July 26, '62, 40; an important 
position, 209; Lee at, 229 n.; 
General Hoke sent to, 233; 
defenses of, 234 n. ; General Hoke 
sent to, 234; pontoon biidge at, 
237; 203 n., 244, 305 n. 

Drum, Private Cyrus, pardon asked 
for, 150 

Dublin, report from, 309 

Dumfries, 73 n. 

Dunkirk, Sheridan's camp at, 221 

Dutch Gap, 239 n., 292, 306 n. 

Dwyer, Private James, sentence on, 
remitted, 152 



E 



Early, Gen. Jubal A., brigade of, 41 ; 
in command at Fredericksburg, 
88 n. ; captures Winchester, June, 
'63, 102; report of Winchester 



ZT2 



Index 



Early, Gen. Jubal A., — Continued. 
capture in O. R., 103 n. ; 49th Va. 
Regt. to leave, 120; 25th Va. 
to go to, 120; speaks highly of 
Col. Stafford, 128; repulses Fed- 
erals, 213 n. ; forces Hunter into 
retreat, 2 1 7 n. , 2 1 8 n. ; advances up 
Valley, 219 n. ; raid on Washing- 
ton, 219 n.; attempts fiank move- 
ment, 219; plans for, 240 n.; goes 
to Charlottesville, 240; moves up 
Valley, 254 n.; relieves Ewell, 256 
n.; secrecy as to movements of, 
273 and note; movements of, 

279 n.; defeats Lew. Wallace, 

280 n.; defeats Wallace at Mon- 
ocacy, 283; reports enemy re- 
tired, 287 ; tears up B. & O. R.R. , 
288 n.; dispatch to Lee, 329; dis- 
patch from, 331 ; in Valley of Vir- 
ginia, 332 n.; xiii, 155, 164 n., 
199 n., 226, 241, 254, 270, 271 n., 
276, 279 n., 300 n. 

Early's division. Gen. Jones to be 
transferred to, 121; 120 n., 141 n. 

Eastern Carolina, 281 

East Tennessee, E. K. Smith 
commands independent army of, 
40 n.; Federal advance threatens, 
125 n.; 299 n. 

East Tennessee R.R., being re- 
paired, 338; 301 n. 

Echols, Brigadier Gen. John, career 
of, 197 n. ; transfer of, 197; illness 
of, 211; invalided home, 216 and 
note; quoted, 295 n.; report, 298 

Echols' brigade, held in reserve, 
217 

Eckenrode, Dr. H. J., of State 
Library of Virginia, xxxviii 

Eckert, Major T. T., confers with 
commissioner, 335 n. 

8th Alabama in Wilcox's brigade, 
117 n. 

8th Florida in Perry's brigade, 97 n. 

8th Louisiana in Hays' brigade, 128 

n.;35 n- 

Eighteenth Army Corps ]oms Gen- 
eral Butler, 179; 185, 186 

1 8th Georgia battalion, 206 n. 

1 8th North Carolina in General 
Branch in command of, 39 n.; in 
Lane's brigade, 115 n.; 181 n. 

Iith Alabama, in Wilcox's brigade, 
117 n.; Colonel Sanders of the, 
122 n. 



nth Georgia battalion, 206 and 
note 

nth Mississippi in Whiting's bri- 
gade, 12 n. 

nth North Carolina in Pettigrew's 
brigade, 97 n. 

Elizabethtown, Stoneman passes, 

351 

Ellis' Ford, n3 

Ely's Ford, enemy reported at, 166; 
177 n. 

Elzey, General Arnold, career of, 
78, 79 n.; named as successor to 
Trimble's division, 92 n. ; scout 
report, 98 ; reports reinforcements 
have been sent to Hooker, loi 

Emory, Brevet Maj. -General Wm. 
H., 313, 314 n. 

Emory College, General Jones 
educated at, 72 n.; E. L. Thomas 
a graduate of, 116 n. 

Ennonee, 337 

Eshleman, Captain B. F., 78, 78 
n. 

Eubank' s artillery in Colonel Lee's 
battalion, 58 n. 

Evergreen, Federal cavalry at, 349 

Evvell, General Richard S., slightly 
wounded, Aug., '62, 55; promotion 
of, discussed by Lee, 91; proposed 
commander of new corps, 92 n.; 
suggested for promotion, 92 n.; 
loses a leg at Groveton, 93 n.; 
career briefly outlined, 93 n.; 
frequently blamed for Gettysburg 
defeat, in n.; General Smith 
A. A. G. to, 120 n. ; unofficial note 
from, 129; attacked by General 
Meade at Morton's Ford, 136 n.; 
itinerary of, 172 n.; takes pris- 
oners, 218; commends Colonel 
Morgan, 225; injuries of, 256 n.; 
77 n., 93 n., 104 n., 155, 243 and 
note, 255 

Ewell's corps, on way to Culpeper, 
107; Johnson's division, 164 n.; 
advance of, 170 n.; at Hanover 
Junction, 190; detachment from, 
aids Early, 217 n.; 120 n., 129, 141 
n, 

Ewell's (2nd) corps, 120 n.; 
NichoU's brigade, 127 n.; 141 n., 
166 n. 

Ewell's division, sent to Despatch 
Station, 20 n.; in Jackson's force, 
39 n.; 16 n. 



Index 



373 



Examiner, edited by Daniel, 241 n. 
Executions, military, effect of, 156 



Fair Oaks Station, enemy thought 
to be at, 18 

Fairfax Station, 73 n. 

Falmouth, King's division leaves, 
Aug. 9, '62, 49 n.; Burnside takes 
position at, Aug. 9, '62, 49 n.; 37 

Fauquier, 132 n. 

Fayetteville, rebels reported near, 

344 n.; 337 

Featherston, General Winfield 
Scott, Lee writes of, 9; review of 
career of, 9 n.; biography of, in 
C. M. H., 9 n.; Colonel Smith 
under, at Peninsula campaign, 41 
n. 

Fessenden, William Pitt, successor 
to Mr. Chase, 272 and note 

Field's brigade at battle of Cedar 
Run, Aug. 9, '62, 53 n. 

Field's division, ordered to Peters- 
burg, 252; Law commander in, 
304 n. 

15th Alabama, 304 n. 

15th Louisiana, Nicholls' brigade, 

127 n.; Colonel Pendleton of the, 

128 n.; Colonel Nicholls of the, 
128 n. 

15th North Carolina, Cooke's bri- 
gade, 97 n. 

15th Virginia, of W. H. F. Lee's 
brigade, 72 n. 

5th Alabama Battalion, Archer's 
brigade, 97 n. 

5th Alabama Infantry, in Rode's 
brigade, 89 n. 

5th Army Corps, 353 n. 

5 th Federal Corps, under Warren, 
291 n. 

5th Florida, Perry's brigade, 97 n. 

5th Louisiana, attached to General 
Semmes' brigade, 35 n.; in Hay's 
brigade, 128 n.; Colonel Forno 
of the, 128 n. 

5th North Carolina Infantry, 166 
n. 

5th South Carolina, Colonel Jen- 
kins in command of, 34 n. 

5th Virginia, of Fitzhugh Lee's 
brigade, 72 n. 

5th Virginia battalion, in Armi- 
stead's brigade, 58 n. 



5th Virginia Cavalry, Robertson 

Colonel of, 43 n.; Rosser made 

Colonel of, 135 n. 
50th Virginia, Jones' brigade, 120 

n.; 149 
58th Virginia, Smith's brigade, 

120 n.; reinlists, 139 
55th North Carolina, 153 
55th Virginia, Heth, Colonel of, 93 

n.; 97 
51st Virginia, Colonel Wharton's 

old regiment, 120 n. 
59th North Carolina, Cooke's bri- 
gade, 97 n. 
52nd North Carolina, Pettigrew's 

brigade, 97 n. 
52nd Virginia, Smith's brigade, 

120 n.; 151, 154 
57th North Carolina ordered to 

D. H. Hill, 48 
57th Virginia regiment in Armi- 

stead's brigade, 58 n. 
56th Georgia, 207 n. 
53rd North Carolina, Daniel's bri- 
gade, 100 n.; 153 
53rd Virginia regiment in Armi- 

stead's brigade, 58 n. 
Finneran's brigade drives back 

Federals, 213 
1st Louisiana, special battalion, 

35 n.; Nicholls' brigade, 127 n.; 

Colonel Shivers of the, 128 n. 
First Manassas, Whiting at, 264 n. 

See Manassas 
1st Maryland, Artillery, 194 n. 
1st Maryland, Cavalry, 194 n. 
1st North Carolina, of Hampton's 

brigade, 71 n.; D. H. Hill Colonel 

of, 99 n.; regiment reinlists, 

139 

1st South Carolina, of Hampton's 
brigade, 71 n. 

1st South Carolina Cavalry re- 
inlists, 139 

1st South Carolina provisional 
army, McGowan's brigade, 115 
n. 

1st South Carolina Rifles, McGow- 
an's brigade, 115 n. 

1st Tennessee regiment, Archer's 
brigade, 97 n. 

1st Virginia, of Fitzhugh Lee's 
brigade, 72 n. 

1st Virginia Partisan Rangers, Col- 
onel Imboden commander of, 
50 n. 



374 



Index 



Fisher, Private John, sentence on, 

remitted, 152 
Five Forks, Fitz Lee attacked at, 

352; Pickett's division beaten at, 

353 n.; 356, 359 n. 
Flowmoy, Colonel, see Forney 
Food supply of Confederates ex- 
hausted, 292 
Fontaine, F. G. De, dispatch 

quoted, 340 n. fi.; dispatch 

quoted, 344 n. 
Forest, victory at, 232 
Forney, Colonel W. H., a prisoner, 

117 n.; on sick list, 117; suggested 

by Lee to succeed Wilcox, 121; 

wounded and a prisoner, 121 
Forno, Colonel Henry, recommended 

for promotion, 128 
Forrest, General Nathan B., unites 

with Taylor and Maury, 350 n.; 

at Montevallo, 350 n.; 341 n., 354 

n. 
Fort Bannington, Bearing at, 136 
Fort Boykin, 271 
Fort Branch, Federals move against, 

306 
Fort Darling, attack on, 199 n. ; 234 

n. 
Fort Harrison, Grant's assault on, 

291 n.; captured by Grant, 332 

n. 
Fort Fisher, Whiting at defense of, 

265 n. ; expedition against, 316 n.; 

Bragg's report on, 318; 310 n. 
Fort Monroe, letter from, corre- 
spondent in Philadelphia En- 

qtiirer, 51; garrison taken from, 

199 
Fort Morgan, surrender of, 354 n. 
Fort Stedman, attack on, 346 n.; 

Lee at, 352 n., 347 n., 359 n. 
40th Virginia in Heth's brigade, 

97 n. 
48th Alabama, 304 n. 
48th Georgia in Wright's brigade, 

58 n.; 181 n. 
48th Mississippi, l8l n. 
48th North Carolina, in Walker's 

Brigade, 24 n.; Cooke's brigade, 

97 n. 
48th Virginia, Jones' brigade, 120 n.; 

152 
45th Georgia in Thomas' brigade, 

115 n. 
45th North Carolina, Daniel's bri- 
gade, 100 n. 



41st Virginia in Mahone's brigade, 

58 n.; 181 n. 
44th Alabama, 304 n. 
44th Georgia in Wright's brigade, 

58 n. 
44th North Carolina, 151 
44th Virginia, Jones' larigade, 120 n. ; 

reinlists, 139 
49th Georgia in Thomas' brigade, 

115 n. 
49th North Carolina, in Ransom's 

brigade, 13 n , 97 n. 
49th Virginia, in Ivlahone's brigade, 

58 n.; under Lieut. -Colonel J. 

Catlett Gibson, 120 n.; Lee pro- 
poses transfer of, 120; Smith's 

brigade, 120 n.; 152 
42nd North Carolina ordered to 

D. H. Hill, 48 
42nd Virginia, Jones' brigade 120 n, 
47th Alabama, 304 n. 
47th Georgia, 207 n. 
47th North Carolina, Pettigrew's 

brigade, 97 n. 
47th Virginia in Heth's brigade, 

97 n.; 151 
46th Georgia, 207 n. 
46th North Carolina, in Walker's 

brigade, 24 n. ; Cooke's brigade, 

97 n. 
46th Virginia sent to join Holmes, 

24 n. 
43rd North Carolina, Daniel's bri- 
gade, 100 n. 
Foster, General T. J., movements 

of, speculated by Lee, 98 ; resolu- 
tion of, 148 n. 
14th Alabama in Wilcox's brigade, 

117 n. 
14th Georgia in Thomas' brigade, 

115 n. 
14th Louisiana, in Pryor's brigade, 

35 n.; Nicholls' brigade, 1 27 n.; 

Colonel York of the, 128 n. 
14th South Carolina, McGowan's 

brigade, 115 n. 
14th Tennessee, Archer's brigade, 

97 n. , 

14th Virginia regiment m Armi- 

stead's brigade, 58 n. K 
4th Alabama in Whiting's brigade, 

12 n.; 304 n. 
4th Maryland Artillery, 194 n. 
4th North Carolina, 149 
4th Virginia, of Fitzhugh Lcc's 

brigade, 72 n. 



Index 



375 



Frazier's Farm, battle of, June 30, 

'62, 22 n.; 150 
Fredericksburg, campaign, xxv; 
Lee's speech at, quoted, xxvi; regi- 
ments reported at, July 25, '62, 37; 
King's division in, 38 n. ; deserters 
report enemy at, Aug. 11, '62, 47; 
Falmouth near, 49 n.; General 
Burnside and General King sup- 
posed to have left Aug. 16, '62, 49; 
unsuccessful Federal attack on, 
December 13, 1862, 67 n.; Federal 
losses at, 67 n.; Lee's head- 
quarters at, 71; Lee's lines in 
rear of, 86; reference to fiasco 
at, 87 n.; Early in command at, 
88 n.; scouts report enemy 
moving to, July 31, '63, 108; 
enemy reported moving to, 112; 
Federals advancing towards, 174; 
Federal reinforcements pass 
through, 187; railroad building 
at, 193; ix, xii, xvii, 68 n., 170, 
195 

Fredericksburg and Potomac R.R., 
viii; protection of, 220 n.; 194 n. 

Freeman, Calendar of Confederate 
Papers, cited, 214 n., 215 n., 
323 n. 

Fremont commands force in "Army 
of Virginia," 37 n. 

French, General Samuel G., report 
from, spoken of by Lee, Aug. 
16, '62, 50 n.; letter from, to S. 
Cooper, A. G., quoted, 51 n.; sent 
to Mississippi, 97, 97 n. 

French army, the, 82 

Frotn Manassas to Appomattox, 
Longstreet's, quoted, 4 n., cited, 
127 n., 183 n., 305 n. 

Pulcher, Private G. G., sentence on, 
remitted, 151 

Fuller, Dr. W. M., mayor of Win- 
chester, 163 n. 

Punston, Lieut.-Colonel, command- 
ing battalion 17th Va., ^2 n. 



Gaines, Dr., 18 

Gaines' Mill, Longstreet's brigade 

on road to, June, '62, 18 ; battle of, 

19 n.; opportunities lost at, 32 n.; 

Lee's headquarters at, 212; 150 
Garber's Battery, reinlists, 139; 

77 n. 



Gary, Col., 249 

Gary's cavalry at G. W. C. Lee's 
disposal, 251 

Gaston, food from, 285 

General Assembly of Virginia, 324 n. 

Georgia, conscript service in, 297; 
destruction of supplies in, 308 
n.; 170 n., 173 

Georgia cavalry under Col. Ander- 
son, 274 

Germana Ford, enemy on, 166; 177 
n. 

Germania, supposed attack on 
Federals at, 85 

Germantown, Pope at, Sept. I, '62, 
62 n. 

Gettysburg, campaign, vii; Lee's 
approach to, xxviii; Lee's report 
of, xxix; Gen. Rodes at, 89 n.; 
Pender fatally wounded at, 94 n.; 
Lee's correspondence concerning, 
campaign, 104 n. ; "unsuccessful 
issue" at, 105 n.; all reports of, 
in O. R., Ill n.; Col. Forney 
wounded at, 117 n., 122; story of 
movements after, 169 n. et seq.; 
xvii, xxiv 

Gibbs, Col. G. C, 42nd N. C. 
regiment, 48 n. 

Gibbs, Gen., division under, 352 

Gibson, Lieut. -Col. J. Catlett, of 
the 49th Virginia, 120 n. 

Gillmore, General Quincy A., force 
of, 212 n.; joins Grant, 218 

Gillmore's corps, prisoners from, 
218 

Gilmer, Col. J. F., chief of engineer- 
ing corps, 46 n.; Lee's instructions 
to, 46 and 46 n.; report from, 331 

Girardy's battery, 35 n. 

"Glary, " Gen., burns Meadow 
Bridge, 201 

Globe tavern, 291 n. 

Goldsboro, Federals move towards, 
339 

Gordon, Col., 147 

Gordon, Gen. John B., suggestion 
that, keep command of Lawton's 
brigade, 94; commanding Law- 
ton's brigade, 94 n.; attacks Fort 
Stedman, 346 n.; carries Hare's 
Hill, 346 n. ; reports skirmish, 352 ; 
164 n. 
Gordon's brigade, 141 n. 
Gordon's corps, praise for sharp- 
shooters of, 347 n. 



376 



Index 



Gordonsville, deserter leaves Jack- 
son at, 17 n.; McClellan believes 
Jackson at, 18 n. ; Pope begins 
movement against, July 14, '62, 
38 n.; Jackson reaches, July 16, 
'62, 39 n.; "field of operations" 
beyond, 42 n. ; Lee suggests send- 
ing Anderson's division to, 47; 
part of Lee's forces to, 47 n. ; Lee's 
headquarters at, 49; Jackson 
withdraws towards, Aug. 12, '62, 
57 n.; Lee suggests troops for, 84; 
T. S, Rhett's command rushed to, 
85 n. ; on route for supplies, 1 78 n. ; 
cavalry sent to, 221 n.; provost- 
marshal of, 300 n.; Torbert at- 
tempts raid on, 311 n. 

Goree, Col. T. J., gives testimony 
for Longstreet concerning Gettys- 
burg, 114 

Gorgas, Col. Josiah, letter from Lee 
to, quoted, 8 n. ; telegram from Lee 
to, about siege guns, Nov., 1862, 
67; reply of, to Lee about guns, 
67 n.; telegram from, quoted, 
261 n.; report to Lee, 261 

Gouldings, enemy thought to be at, 
18 

Grace Darling, one of Lee's horses, 

5 n- 
Graham's battery, 13 n., 152 
Grant, General Ulysses S., tactics 
of, viii; praise deserved by, x; 
narrative by, xxxv; escape made 
by, referred to, 26 n.; order of, 
published, 141 ; supposed plans of, 
March, '64, 141 et seq.; at Cul- 
peper Courthouse, 145 n. ; move- 
ments of, March, '64, 145 n.; 
moves against James River line, 
148 n.; made lieutenant-general, 
170 n.; heavy reinforcements for, 
176; engagements of, in "the 
Wilderness," 176 n., 177 n.; re- 
ceives reinforcements, 180; calls 
for reinforcements, 184; takes up 
flanking movement, 193 n. ; re- 
cruiting and reorganizing, 195 ; suc- 
cessfully blocked by Lee, 196 n., 
197 n.; dispatch of , captured, 198; 
dispatch of, quoted, 199 n.; 
checked by Beauregard, 205 n.; 
troops sent to, 207 n. ; repulsed at 
Cold Harbor, 213 n.; moves 
army across James River, 214; 
defeat of, necessary, 218; ex- 



tending force toward Chickahom- 
iny, 219; "usual caution" of, 
220; movements of, 220 n.; pur- 
pose of movements, 220 n.; pre- 
pares for move across Chicka- 
hominy,22i n.; pause in operations 
of, 222; ideas of, on Sheridan's, 
raid, 223 n.; reported in motion 
227; moves army to James River, 
232; supposed move of, 249; 
sends troops south, 258 n.; Hal- 
leck to, cited, 283 n. ; decides to 
make feint on Richmond, 290 n.; 
advances on Petersburg, 290 n.; 
supposed plans of, 329, 331; 
movements of, 332 n.; invitation 
to Confederate commissioners, 
334; letter to, quoted, 335 n. ; 
letter from, quoted, 335 n. ; insists 
on hearing for commissioners, 
336 n.; headquarters, 340 n.; 
reinforcements sent to, 341 n.; 
estimated size of army of, 345; 
orders to Stoneman, 351 n.; rein- 
forced by Sheridan, 352 n. ; move 
threatening to Lee, 358 ; 98, 115 n., 
166 n., 179, 182 n., 203 n., 227 n., 
234, 250 n., 254, 266 n., 271, 
272, 313. 343r 345. 347 n. 

Grapevine Bridge, Gen. Jackson 
at, 21 

Gravelly Run, Lee drives Warren 
across, 356 n. 

Grayson, 351 

Greensboro, road from Danville to, 
326 n. 

Gregg, Gen., defeat of, 265; repulsed 
by Gen. Fitz Lee, 283 

Gregg'scavalryat Hatcher 'sRun, 352 

Grimes' artillery in Col. Lee's 
battalion, 58 n. 

Groveton, Lee's headquarters at, 
56; Ewell loses leg at, 93 n.; Ewell 
wounded at, 256 n. 

Guinea Station, 178 n., 188 n, 

Gunn, Private Geo. M., sentence 
on, remitted, 153 



H 



Hagerstown, Lee's headquarters 
near, 103; army near, July 10, '63, 
103; Lee withdraws from, 105 

Hagood's brigade, ordered to Rich- 
mond, 168 n.; of Hoke's division, 
210 n. 



Index 



377 



Halleck, Gen. Henry W., doesn't 
agree with McClellan, 47 n.; or- 
ders Gen. Burnside to join Pope, 

49 n.; telegram to, from Pope, 
estimates forces, Aug. 20, '62, 

50 n.; vetoes Pope's plan to pur- 
sue Jackson, 57 n.; requested to 
investigate Milroy's "assess- 
ment orders," 70; reply to Lee, 
71 n.; to Grant, cited, 283 n._ 

Hampshire, Rosser's expedition into, 
county, 135 n. 

Hampton, Gen. Wade, reference to, 
42 n.; opinion of, 194; forces back 
Federal cavalry, 213 n.; engages 
Sheridan, 219 n.; ordered to Han- 
over Junction, 222; to strike at 
Sheridan, 249; Lee's letter to, 
quoted, 250 n. ; letters to Bragg, 
cited, 254 n.; report in O. R., 258 
n.; telegram from Gen. Lee to, 
asking for extra brigades, June 
25, '64, 258; pursues Federals, 259 
n.; defeats Gregg, 265; Lee 
praises, 268; report of, 305 n.; 
reports Federals' position, 336; 
defends refugees, 344 n.; 223, 
230 n., 315, 316,337 

Hampton's brigade, regiments com- 
posing, in Fredericksburg cam- 
paign, 71 n.; engagements of, 

73 n- 
Hampton's cavalry, Lee asks for, 54 
Hampton's division, 140 n. 
"Hampton Roads Conference," 331 

n., 333 n- 

Hancock, Dr. T. W., reports reason 
for desertions, Jan., '64, 131 

Hancock's corps (second), 229 n. 

Haneycutt, Private James F., 
pardon asked for, 149 

Hanover, 193 n., 202 

Hanover Court House, Brecken- 
ridge at, 194; 202 

Hanover Junction, Lee thinks 
Cooke's brigade should go to, loi 
n.; on the Virginia Central Rail- 
road, 102 n. ; Lee reports troops on 
way to, Sept. 9, '63, 126; Gen. 
Johnston at, 147 n.; Lee's head- 
quarters at, 189; Breckenridge at, 
189; Lee arrives at, 189; now 
known as Doswell, 190 n. Con- 
federate position at, 200; Hamp- 
ton and Fitz Lee ordered to, 222; 
37, 194 n- 



Hardee, Gen. W. J., Lee writes of, 
284; dispatch discussed by Lee, 
314; dispatch sent to Lee, 327; 
Sherman turns to oppose, 332; 
orders to, 337; 315 and note 

Hardy County, Rosser's expedition 
into, 135 n.; Major Gilmer in, 331 

Hare's Hill carried by Gen. Gordon, 
346 n. 

Harpers Ferry, raid of, xix; Jack- 
son ordered to, 62 n.; surrender 
of, Sept. 15, '62, 63n.; Lee refers 
to battle of, 65 n. ; railroad build- 
ing at, 145 n. 

Harris, Brigadier-Gen. N. H., com- 
mand of, 181 n. 

Harrison, Miss Susie B., House 
Regent of Museum, xxxviii 

Harrisonburg, Jackson at, 6 n. 

Harrison's Landing, campaign to, 
vi; McClellan joins fleet at, June, 
'62, 21; McClellan goes to, July 
I, '62, 26 n.; McClellan at, 39 n. ; 
arrival of mail boat from, 51; 
night attack at, 175; 46 n., 229 n., 

234 

Hartwood Church, 73 n. 

Harvie, Lieutenant- Colonel Edwin 
J., assistant inspector-general, 
22, 22 n. 

Hatch, Brigadier-General, ordered 
to destroy Virginia Central Rail- 
road, 38 n. ; misunderstands Pope's 
order, 38 n.; reaches Madison 
C. H., 38 n. 

Hatcher's Run, Federals around, 
352; 332 n., 353 n. 

Haw's Shop, engagement near, 213 
n. ; 202 

Hays, Gen., suggests Col. Stafford 
for promotion, 128 

Hays brigade, Col. Stafford of the, 
128 

Henderson, Colonel G. F. R., 
Stonewcll Jackson by, xxxiv; 
Jackson vindicated by, 16 n. 

Herald, N .Y., Lee sends, to Davis, 
279 

Hernando, Mississippi, raids at, 341 
n. 

Herring Creek, enemy on neck 
formed by, and James River, 26 

Heth, Gen. Harry, promotion of, 
discussed by Lee, 91; career 
briefly outlined, 93 n.; blamed 
for failure at Gettysburg 108 n.; 



378 



Index 



Heth, Gen. Harry — Continued. 
report of Gettysburg in O. R., 
109 n. ; wounded at Gettysburg, 
109, 109 n.; Lee champions, 109; 
blamed for Gettysburg defeat, 
III n.; repulses Federals, 213 n. 

Heth's division, moved to White Oak 
Swamp, 239; captures Warren's 
men, 291 n.; 97 and note 

"Hicksford raid," reports of, 306 n. 

Higginbotham, Col. J. C., of the 
25th Virginia, 120 n. 

Hill, Gen. Ambrose P., position of, 
June 27, '62, 18; attack made 
under, June 27, '62, 19 n.; speaks 
of Gen. Branch, 39 n. ; with 
"light division" reinforces Jack- 
son, 39 n. ; division of, with no one 
in command, 39; joins Jackson, 
47 n. arrives in midst of battle, 
63 n. ; promotion of, discussed by 
Lee, 91; division of, 92 n. ; sug- 
gested for promotion, 92 n.; 
career briefly outlined, 93 n.; 
killed at Petersburg, April 2, '65, 
93 n.; letter to, spoken of by 
Lee, 96; left to watch Hooker, 
104 n.; letter of, mentioned, 122; 
in engagement at Bristoe, 170 n. 

Hill, Gen. D. H., letter of, referred 
to, 8; supports Gen. Jackson, 
June 27, '62, 18; attack made 
under, June 27, '62, 19 n.; position 
of, July 3, '62, 25; ordered to 
change position, July 8, '62, 32 n. ; 
violation of agreement' witk Dix^ 
for exchange of prisoners, 44 n.f v 
regiments ordered to, 48; note 
from, to Lee, 49 ; letter to, captured 
by Federals, 62 n.; joined by 
Longstreet at Turner's Gap, 63 n. ; 
ill health of, 69; sent to No. Car- 
olina, 69 n.; horses killed under, 
69 n.; Gen. Rodes to succeed, 87; 
Rodes suggested as successor to, 
92 n.; report of operations at 
Kinston, 98; refuses to act under 
Lee's order, 99; career of, briefly 
outlined, 99 n., 100 n.; regiments 
under, 100 

Hill City, Hunter repulsed at, 217 
n. 

Hill's corps, expected at Culpeper, 
July 24, '63, 106; drives back 
Federals, 228; moved to Ridley's 
Shop, 239; 192 



Hill's (3rd) corps, 119 n., 181 n. 

Hill's division at battle of Cedar 
Run, Aug. 9, '62, 53 n. 

Hogan's House, Lee's headquarters 
at, 18; Longstreet 's brigade on 
road from, June, '62, 18 

Hoke, Gen. R. F., report of New 
BerninO. R., 137 n.; the command 
of, 146 ff.; operating against New 
Berne, 173 n.; itinerary of, 203 n.; 
opposes Butler, 214; to Beaure- 
gard June 14, '64, O. R., 233 n.; 
sent to Drewry's Bluff, 233 ; moved 
to pontoon bridge, 234; ordered to 
join Beauregard, 235; line at 
Taylor's Creek, 252 n. ; Lee re- 
commends, 270; 136, 164 n., 166 
n., 326 _ 

Hoke's brigade joins Lee, 191 

Hoke's division, brigades compos- 
ing, 210 n.; strength of, 210 n.; 
reinforces Beauregard, 228 n.; to 
be near pontoon bridge, 232; Beau- 
regard asks return of, 233 n.; 
position of, 239; 304 

Holmes, Major-General Theophilus 
H., report, O. R., 23 n. ; sent to 
Drewry's Bluff by Lee, 23 n.; 
moves three regiments of Daniels', 
June 29, '62, 23 n.; joined by 
Brig.-General Walker, 23 n. ; letter 
from, spoken of by Lee, 24 n. ; 
reinforced, 24 n. ; Lee discusses 
letter from, 280; orders to, 281 n. ; 
General Martin under, 327 n. 

Holt, Colonel Boiling H., 118 

Hood, General John B., Johnston's 
successor, xiii; commended as a 
"capital officer," 92 n.; succeeds 
General Johnston, 284 n. ; Lee 
writes of, 284; joined by Ripley, 
312 n. 

Hooker, General Joseph, finds dif- 
ficulty locating Confederates, 58 
n. ; plans of, 87; Federal move 
under, 87 n.; at Chancellorsville, 
88 n. ; abandons position, 90; 
receives reinforcements, loi ; de- 
feat referred to, 104 n. ; 177 n. 

Hooker's army, reference to, 84 

Hooker's brigade supposed to have 
joined Pope, 54 

Hopewell Church, cavalry moves 
from, 337 

Horses, see Ajax, Brown Roan, 
Grace Darling, Lucy Long, Rich- 



Index 



379 



Horses — Continued. 

mond, Traveller; Lee refuses 
Davis' offer of horse, 3 ff.; best, 
in the army, 72; of Hampton's 
brigade, 72 

Hosmer, Outcome of the Civil War, 
account Chase's resignation in, 
272 n. 

Howard, General O. O., 85 

"Howlett Line," 306 n. 

Hewlett's house, Federals at, 245; 
guard lines at, 252 ; battery at, 255 

Huger, General Benjamin, Lee 
speaks of, 11; career of, 11 n.; 
orders to, June 24, '62, 13; attack 
on, 14 n.; position of, 18 n.; 
dispatch from General Lee to, 
giving location of other com- 
manders and enemy, June 27, 
'62, 18, 19; watches for McClel- 
lan, June, '62, 21; position of, 
July 3, '62, 25 

Hughes Shop, Lee's headquarters at, 
202 

Hunter, General David, campaign 
of, in Valley, 217 n.; Early sent 
to meet, 240; escapes Early, 254 
n. ; 219, 222, 266 

Hunter, R. M. T., goes to City 
Point, 334; letter to, quoted, 335 
n.; letter of, quoted, 335 n.; 331 
and note 

I 

Imboden, General John D., en- 
deavors to tear up B. & O. 
R. R., 50 and note; letter to 
C. W. Russell in O. R., 50 n.; 
letters to, from Lee, quoted, 71 n.; 
writes of deserters, 123; report 
from, 143; ordered to stop inter- 
ference with private citizens, 164; 
force under, 217; 70, 80 n., 168 n. 

Imboden's battery in Whiting's 
brigade, 12 n. 

Inquirer, Richmond, 241 and note 

Irish Battalion, the, 184 

Iverson, General Alfred, suggested 
by Lee to command Cobb cav- 
alry, 127; graduate of Tuskegee 
Military Institute, 127 n. 

J 

Jackson, General Thomas J., plans 
for, vi; McClellan's battle with, 



xxii; relations with Lee, xxiii; 
loss of at Chancellorsville, xxvii; 
Lee writes of reinforcing, 5 ff.; 
in the Valley of Virginia, 6 n.; 
reaches Ashland, 15; Lee's letter 
to, quoted, 15 n.; proposed ad- 
vance of, into Pennsylvania, 1 5 n. ; 
ruse of, 16 n.; leaves Stark 
Church, 16 n.; deserter betrays 
plans of, 16 n.; reports Federal 
m.ovement on Chickahominy, 16; 
position of, a surprise to McClel- 
lan, 18 n.; on road to Cold Har- 
bor, June 27, '62, 18; tardiness 
of, delays fight, June 27, '62, 19 
n.; attack made under, June 27, 
'62, 19 n.; watches for McClellan, 
June, '62, 21; again delays attack, 
June 29, '62, 22 n.; ordered to 
changeposition, July 8, '62, 32 n.; 
blamed by Alexander for miscar- 
riage of Lee's plans, 33 n.; "com- 
mand" of, 35 n.; recommends 
promotion of Taylor, 37 n.; 
letter from, sent to Davis by Lee, 
38; ordered to Gordonsville, 
July 13, '62, 38 n.; Hill's "light 
division" reinforces, 39 n.; report 
in O. R., 39 n.; writes Lee of 
cavalry commander, 42 ; letter to, 
from Lee concerning Robertson, 
quoted, 43 n.; seems dissatisfied 
with General Robertson, 43 n. ; 
joined by A. P. Hill, 47 n,; esti- 
mates Pope's forces, 49; at 
battle of Cedar Run, Aug. 9, '62, 
53; captures cars on Orange & 
Alexandria R. R., Aug. 26, '62, 
54; first attack, 55 n.; advance 
to Cedar Mountain, 56 n.; sent 
around Pope's flank, Aug. 25, '62, 
57 n.; goes towards Gordonsville, 
57 n.; repulses Federal attack 
at Manassas, 60; ordered to 
Harpers Ferry, 62 n.; starts 
to join Lee, 63 n.; sent to the 
Valley, Dec, '62, 66 n.; corre- 
spondence about artillery re- 
organization, 75 n.; sent around 
Hooker's lines, 88 n.; fatally 
injured, 88 n.; xxi, 41, 67 n., 74n., 
77 n., 79 

Jackson Hospital, men desert on 
leaving, 131 

James River, campaign to the, viii; 
Grant's movement across, viii; 



380 



Index 



James River — Continued. 

General Rains on the, 9 n. ; troops 
at, 13 n,; McClellan prepares 
move to, 18 n.; McClellan moves 
base to, June, '62, 20 n.; McClel- 
lan's move to, June, '62, 20; 
Holmes moves men across, June 
29, '62, 23 n.; enemy supposed to 
have crossed, 24; enemy on neck 
formed by, and Herring Creek, 
26; enemy's position on, July 9, 
'62, 28; "field of operations" on, 
42 n.; McClellan leaves, Aug. 
16, '62, 57 n.; Butler advances up, 
174 n.; plans for attack at, 175; 
Confederate batteries on, 176 n.; 
movement across, 196 n.; Beaure- 
gard's position on, 203 n. ; Federal 
fleet on, 207 and note; com- 
munications near, 220 n. ; Fed- 
erals on way to, 227; pontoon 
across the, 230 n.; Grant's army 
at, 232; Grant on south side of, 
249; 25 n., 148 n., 159, 168 n., 
191 n.,209,2i4n.,2i5n.,23i,234, 
306 n., 344, 359 

Janeey, Private John, sentence on, 
remitted, 152 

Jeflferson, Lee's telegram from, Aug. 
24, '62, 52 

Jefferson, Thomas, grandfather to 
George Randolph, 21 n.; views of, 
on Society of the Cincinnati, 161 
and note 

Jefferson County, Mossy Creek in, 
301 n. 

Jenkins, Brig. -General A. G., joins 
Colonel Imboden, Aug. 22, '62, 
50 n.; report in O. R., 50 n. 

Jenkins, Colonel Micah, suggested 
for promotion by Lee, 33; pro- 
moted, 34 n.; career of, briefly 
outlined, 34 n.; tribute paid by 
Longstreet, 34 n. 

Jenkins' brigade, as successor to 
Cooke's brigade, loi n.; ordered 
to report to General Jones, 124 

Jerusalem road, Federals on, 252 

Johnson, Brigadier-General B. T., 
temporarily in command of Jones' 
brigade, 120 n.; command of, 194 
n.; to support IBreckenridge, 194; 
reportof, C. M. H.,279n., 212 

Johnson, General Edward, to com- 
mand Trimble's division, 88; 
career reviewed, 89 n.; assigned 



command of division, 89 n.; 
suggested as commander of Trim- 
ble's division, 92 n. ; applies for 
appointment for Colonel Penn, 
129, captured at Blocdy Angle, 
164 n.; biography in C. M, H., 
164 n.; can't be spared by Lee, 
164; brigade of, ordered to Rich- 
mond, 168 n.; division of, cap- 
tured, 177 n. ; line at Baxter 
Road, 252 n. 

Johnson's division, 25th Virginia 
to go from, 120; NichoU's brigade, 
127 n.; 120 n., 140 n., 141 n. 

Johnston, General Joseph E., 
Hood's successor, xiii; wounded, 
3 n.; improvement of, spoken of 
by Lee, 48; position of, 176 n.; to 
block reinforcements, 176; Whit- 
ing with, 264 n.; at battle of 
Kenesaw Mountain, 265 n. ; re- 
moved from command, 284 n. ; 
Sherman turns to oppose, 332 n.; 
Bragg to cooperate with, 336 n. ; 
report, 338; report quoted, 339; 
reports number of his force, 345; 
estimates size Sherman's army, 
345; 98, 143, 144, 160 n., 185, 223, 
243, 255, 2^3, 337, 343, 347 n. 

Johnston, General R. D., at Han- 
over Junction, 147 n.; 166, 166 n. 

Johnston, Major J. S., A. A. G. to 
Breckenridge, 308 n.; report of, 

309 

Jones, Colonel B. H., 197 

Jones, General John M., succeeded 
by Wharton, 120; to succeed 
General Wm. Smith, 120; an 
instructor at West Point, 120 n. ; 
suggested by Lee for transfer, 
121 

Jones, General Samuel, sent with 
men to Lee, 103 n.; Colonel 
Wharton with, 119 n.; sends 
application for Jenkins and Whar- 
ton's brigades, 124; letter to Lee 
in O. R., 124 n, ; meets and re- 
pulses AvereU's raid, 125 n.; 
Seddon to, in O. R., 125 n.; suc- 
ceeded by Breckenridge, 189 n.; 

125 
Jones, General W. E., Jackson 
wants, 43 n. ; regiments composing 
brigade of, 72 n. ; career of, 72 n. ; 
force under, 217; see Jones' bri- 
gade 



Index 



381 



Jones, J. B., Rebel War Clerk's 
Diary, by, xxxv; diary of, cited, 
279 n. 

Jones, Lieut.-Colonel Hilary P., 
of the 57th No. Carolina, 48 n. ; 
batteries composing battalion of, 
77 n. ; promotion of, 75 n., 77 

Jones, Private W. H. P., sentence on, 
remitted, 153 

Jones' brigade, Jenkins in com- 
mand of, 34 n.; in Johnson's 
division, 89 n.; 25th Virginia in, 
120 n.; temporarily commanded 
by General Johnson, 120 n.; 
Johnson's division, 164 n. ; 140 
n. 

Jones ferry, Cheatam reported at, 

337 
Jordan's artillery in Colonel Lee's 
battalion, 59 n. 



K 



Kautz, General, attacks Richmond 

& Danville R. R., 174 n. 
Kautz's cavalry attacked by Lee, 

332 n. 
Kean, R. G. H., Chief of Bureau of 

War, loi, 356 n. 
Kelly's Ford, Colonel Robertson at 

battle of, 43 n. ; 80 n., 1 13 
Kempner, General James L., 297 

and note 
Kempner's brigade ordered to re- 
inforce Lee, 191 and note 
Kendrick, a telegraph operator, 

188 n. 
Kenesaw Mountain, battle of, 265 n. 
Kentucky, Morgan's raid in, July 

4, '62, 40 n. ; Burnside supposed to 

have gone to, 84 
Kershaw, General, repulsed by 

Confederates, 213 n.; 300 n, 
Kershaw's division, ordered to 

Petersburg, 252; sent after Sheri- 
dan, 290 n. 
King, General, supposed to have 

joined Pope, August 16, '62, 49; 

leaves Falmouth, August 9, '62, 

49 n. 
King's division in Fredencksburg, 

38 n. 
Kinston, operations at, 98; Federals 

move against, 307 
Knoxville, Morgan leaves, 40 n.; 

Federal advance on, 125 n.; 



Federal retreat towards, 302; 
Thomas reported at, 338 



Lancaster, 317 

Landry's 3d corps, 140 

Lane, General James H., not recom- 
mended for promotion, 115; a 
North Carolina brigade under, 
115; known as the "little Gen- 
eral," 115 n.; command of, 181 n. 

Latimer's battery, 77 n. 

Laurel Brigade, Rosser assigned to, 
135 ^•'' 73 ^-j ^ss Ashby's "Laurel 
Brigade" 

Law, General Evander M., trouble 
between Longstreet and, 304 and 
note 

Lawton, General A. R., and regi- 
ment join Jackson, 15 n. ; 
wounded at Sharpsburg, 94 n.; 
petition from, brigade, 94; trans- 
portation of troops directed by, 
127 n.; 246 and note 

Lay, Colonel George W., assistant 
inspector-general, 22, 22 n. 

Lee, Brig.-General Fitzhugh, biog- 
raphy of, xxxiii; nephew of 
Robert E. Lee, 42 n.; regiments 
composing brigade of, 72 n.; po- 
sition of brigade of, 73; sent to 
Bottom's Bridge, 212; strongly 
guards Chickahominy, 213; en- 
gages Sheridan, 219 n. ; ordered 
to Hanover Junction, 222; reports 
victory over Gregg, 283; sent 
after Sheridan, 290 n.; confirms 
McDonald's information, 330; 
repulses attack, 352; report in 
O. R. cited, 353 n.; 166, 194 n., 

303 

Lee, Brig.-General W. H. F., regi- 
ments composing brigade of, 72 n. ; 
division, 166 n.; forces back 
Federal cavalry, 213 n.; ordered 
to Petersburg, 249; puts Federals 
to flight, 259 n. 

Lee, Jr., Captain Robert E., Recol- 
lections of General Lee by, xxxiii; 
opinion of Traveller, 5 n. 

Lee, Colonel E. G., 303 

Lee, General G. W. C, discusses 
organization of artillery, 73 et seq.; 
to go to Chafins, 242; in charge 
at Richmond, 249; Lee's letter to, 



382 



Index 



Lee, General G. W. C. — Continued. 
quoted, 251 n.; delayed in leaving 
Wilmington, 279 n.; letter from 
Lee to, cited, 279; 236, 250, 255, 
276 

Lee, General Robert E., increasing 
fame of, iii; reprints of reports, 
iv; takes blame for Gettysburg, 
vii; Grant's movements expected 
by, ix; lacks troops and supplies, 
x; relations with President Davis, 
xi; correspondence of Davis and, 
xii; relations with subordinates, 
xii ff. ; anticipated North's victory, 
xv; studyof career of, xvii; charac- 
ter of, xix ff.; reorganizes, xxi; a 
daring leader, xxi; battle with 
McClellan, xxii; begins wonderful 
campaign, xxii; and people of 
Maryland, xxiv; first defeat of, 
xxix; and Pickett, xxix; pleads 
for men and food, xxx; Recollec- 
tions written by his son, xxxiii; 
appointed General Johnston's 
successor, 3 n.; plans for attack, 
16 n.; report in O. R. cited, 20 n.; 
surmises as to McClellan's posi- 
tion prove correct, July 2, '62, 
22 n.; gives reason for failure to 
destroy McClellan, 23 n.; mis- 
taken as to McClellan's rein- 
forcement, 27 n.; plans miscarried, 
July 8, '62, 32 n.; spies give 
wrong information to, 38 n.; or- 
ders Jackson to Gordonsville, July 
13, '62, 38 n.; letter to Jackson 
concerning General Robertson, 
quoted, 43 n.; congratulates 
General Robertson on charge at 
second Manassas, 43 n.; instruc- 
tions to General G. W. Smith, 
quoted, 46 n.; plan of campaign, 
August 30, '62, 56 n., 57 n., 58 n.; 
report in O. R. cited, 58 n.; letter 
to Pope, August 31, '62, 60 n.; 
declines truce with Pope, 60 n.; 
invites Marylanders to unite with 
the South, September 8, '62, 61 n. ; 
letter to Davis September 3, '62, 
quoted, 62 n.; joined by Jackson 
at Antietam, September 17, '62, 
63 n.; congratulatory order to 
army quoted, 64 n., 65 n.; warns 
government against attacks on 
railroad, October 25, '62, 65 n.; 
anticipates Burnside's plans, 67 n.; 



discusses reorganization of artil- 
lery, 73 et seq. ; attacks Sedgwick 
and returns to Chancellorsville, 
May 7, '63, 90; and promotions, 
92 n., 93 n.; wishes Pickett's 
division united with his own, loi 
n.; Davis sends, Sam Jones and 
men, 103 n.; letter of July 7, '63, 
concerning Gettysburg quoted, 
105 n.; report to General Cooper 
cited, no n.; letter to Davis sug- 
gesting a new commander be 
secured, August 8, '63, quoted, 
III n., 112 n.; to Stuart in O. R. 
cited, 125 n.; telegram to, of De- 
cember 8, '63, quoted, 130 n.; 
letter to Davis quoted, 131 n.; 
letter from Thos. L. Rosser 
quoted, 132 n.; to Cooper, O. R., 
133 n.; plans of, March, '64, 145 
n., et seq.; opinion of, regarding 
defense of Richmond, 147 n. ; 
custom of, concerning promotions, 
148 n.; attitude of, toward de- 
serters, 154 fT.; plans of, April 
15, '64, 159 n. fif.; letter to Davis, 
April 28, '64, in O. R., 165 n.; 
letter to Davis, April 30, '64, 
quoted, 168 n.; crosses the 
Rapidan, 170 n.; surmises as to 
Grant's movements, 171 n.; 
counter-movements of, 172 n. ; 
asks for more troops, 172 n. ; 
success of, in the Wilderness, 
176 n., 177 n.; on the strengthen- 
ing of his army, 179 and note; 
objects to General McLaws, 182, 
183 n.; opinion on Federal posi- 
tion and plans. May 18, '64, 
183 et seq.; calls urgently for re- 
inforcements, 186 et seq.; with- 
drawal by, urged, 189 n.; moves 
to Hanover Junction ,189; fears of, 
for Richmond, 192; entrenched at 
the North Anna, 193 n.; policy 
of defense, 1 93 n. ; order of, quoted, 
194 n.; plans of, in opposition to 
Beauregard's, 196 n.; reasons for 
opposing Beauregard, 1 96 n.; with- 
draws from North Anna, 200; 
uncertain as to Grant's move- 
ments, 203 n. ; position occupied 
by, 28 May, '64, 202, 203 and 
note; makes appointment with 
Beauregard, 204; borrows rein- 
forcements, 205; opinion of, as to 



Index 



383 



Lee, General Robert E. — Continued. 
defense of Richmond, 209; dis- 
patch to, quoted, 212 n.; 
reports battle of Cold Harbor, 
213 n.; receives report of Butler's 
strength, 214 n.; recommends 
appointment o f commanding 
officer in Valley, 2 1 6 ff . ; opinion of, 
on Sheridan's movements, 221, 
222; resents supervision of Bragg, 
224 n.; recommends Colonel 
Morgan for promotion, 225; 
recalls recommendation for pro- 
motion of O'Neal, 225, 226; 
three telegrams to Beauregard, 
June 16, quoted, 227 n.; telegram 
to Beauregard in O. R., 229 n. ; 
letter to Davis cited, 248 n.; 
orders troops to Petersburg, 249; 
to W. H. F. Lee cited, 249; let- 
ter to Hampton quoted, 250 n. ; to 
Seddon cited, 253 n.; asks to 
have track repaired, 254 n.; con- 
gratulations to Hampton cited, 
254 n.; writes of Ewell, quoted, 
265 n.; Davis to, quoted, 278 n.; 
letter to G. W. C. Lee cited, 
279 n.; to J. T. Wood cited, 279 
n. ; letter from General Holmes to, 
280; letter from Brig.-General 
Echols quoted, 295 n.; to Breck- 
enridge cited, 300 n. ; Seddon to, 
cited, 301 n.; warning given by, 
305 n.; quoted, 311 n.; Davis to, 
quoted, 317 n.; Davis' letter to, 
quoted, 324 n. ; Davis' letter to, 
quoted, 325 n. ; made General-in- 
Chief by Davis, 325 n.; report 
attack on Fort Stedman quoted, 
346 n.; retreats to Appomattox, 
353 n.; engages General Warren, 
356 n.; suggests evacuation of 
Richmond, 359 n. 

Lee, General Stephen D., battalion, 
58 n.; and reserve batteries join 
General Lee, August 30, '62, 58; 
recommended to Wilcox's brigade, 
116; XXV, 74 n. 

Legislature of Mississippi, 341 n. 

Lenoir, 351 

"Let the batteries open," 78 n. 

Leventhorpe, Colonel, reports 
movements Federal gunboats, 3 1 1 

Lewis, Brig.-General, repulses Fed- 
eral attack, 352 

Lexington, Pendleton from, xiv; 



Lee's St. Helena at, xviii; Lee's 
return to, xxxii 

Liberty, Stoneman driven back at, 
351 n. 

Lightfoot (General?), 192 n. 

Lincoln, Abraham, reference to, 
xix; letter to, from McClellan, 
quoted, 27 n.; criticizes General 
Meade, 169 n.; to Grant cited, 
283 n.; Confederates to meet, 
commissioner, 334; 185, 333 n. 

Little River, 200 

Little River Turnpike, 62 n. 

Long Bridge, guns at approaches 
to, 37; Federals at, 227; Federals 
move across, 234; Federals cross 
at, 239, 21, 233 

Long Bridge Road, Longstreet's 
corps at, 239; Wilcox after enemy 
on, 240 

Long, Colonel A. L., biography of, 
xxxiii; Lee writes of, 10; mihtary 
secretary and biographer to Lee, 
10 n.; author of Memoirs of 
Gen. Lee, 80 n.; 79 

Longstreet, General James, Lee 
praises, 10, 11; position of, June 
27, '62, 18; attack made under, 
June 27, '62, 19 n.; watches for 
McClellan, June, '62, 21; at battle 
of Frazier's Farm, June 30, '62, 
22 n. ; ordered to change position, 
July 8, '62, 32 n.; division under, 
given to Anderson, 33 n.; tribute 
to Jenkins quoted, 34 n. ; division, 
35 n.; goes to join Jackson, 47 n.; 
letter to, spoken of, 48; estimates 
Pope's forces, 50 n.; sent to aid 
Jackson at Manassas, 58 n.; 
repulses Federal attack at Ma- 
nassas, 60; sent to reinforce Hill 
at Turner's Gap, 63 n.; opposes 
Lee's plan, 64 n.; sent to Cul- 
peper, December, '62, 66 n.; 
"Let the batteries open," 78 n.; 
Lee asks for, division, April 29, 
'63, 84; report, 100; frequently 
blamed for Gettysburg defeat, 
III n.; attack on Lee's general- 
ship in Manassas, etc., iii n. ; 
trouble with General McLaws, 
182 n.; takes prisoners, 218; 
trouble between General Law 
and, 304 and note; cited 4 n., 
58 n.; vii, 67 n., 74 n., 79, 104 n., 
143, 144, 160 n., 171 n., 182 n., 190 



384 



Index 



Longstreet's corps on way to join 
Bragg, September 9, '63, 127 n.; 
rejoins Army of Northern Vir- 
ginia, 173 n.; position of, 239; 
120 n., 304 n. 

Loring, General W. W., move of, 
suggested by Lee, 40; commander 
in Southwest Virginia, 41 n.; 
257 and note 

Loudoun, Rosser's men from, 132 
n. 

Louisa C. H., Jackson's line of 
march via, 38 n.; 193 n. 

Louisiana battery reinlists, 139 

Lucy Long, one of Lee's horses, 5 n. 

Lynchburg, regiment ordered from, 
48; Nicholls post-commandant 
at, 128 n.; a route for supplies, 
178 and note; General McCaus- 
land at, 180 n.; Hunter advances 
on, 217 n.; railroad connection 
to, 221 n.; Stoneman ordered to, 
351 n. 



M 



Maddens, Stuart cuts enemy's line 
near, 85 

Madison, Hatch at, July 17, '62, 
38 n. 

" Madison " battery, 140 n. 

Magrath, General, 314 

Magruder, General, commands at 
Yorktown, 9 n.; Lee orders 
Huger to connect with, 19; 
watches for McClellan, June, '62, 
21; at battle of Savage Station, 
June 29, '62, 22 n.; attack by, 
June 29, '62, 22 n.; position of, 
July3, '62, 25:33 n. 

Mahone, Brigadier-General William, 
command of, 181 n.; 266 

Mahone's brigade, in Anderson's 
division, 33 n.; Colonel Smith 
attached to, 41 n.; in Anderson's 
division, 58 n. 

Malvern Hill, McClellan at, xxii; 
McClellan at, July i, '62, 22 n.; 
McClellan's abandonment of, not 
immediately communicated to 
Lee, 23 n.; McClellan's with- 
drawal from, July I, '62, 26 n.; 
opportunities lost at, 32 n.; 
Federal cavalry at, 236 n.; 
cavalry at, 239; Anderson's divi- 
sion near, 244; 21 n., 150 



Manassas, campaign, vi; campaign, 
104 n.; Beauregard at, xx; Lee 
believes enemy concentrating at, 
56; Jackson destroys Federal 
stores at, 58 n.; Lee refers to 
victory at, 65 n.; Federals at, 
168; 73 n., 79 n. 

Manassas Gap R. R., 232 

Manassas Junction, telegram from 
Lee's headquarters at, August 
29, '62, 55; Lee sends Jackson and 
Stuart to, 57 n. 

Manassas, Second, see Second Ma- 
nassas 

Manassas to Appomattox, Long- 
street's attack on Lee's general- 
ship in, III n. 

Mangonick church, 222 

Marshall, Charles, letters written 
by, XXXV 

Marshall, General Humphrey, re- 
signed and was reappointed by 
Davis, 40; whereabouts of, asked 
by Lee, 40 n. 

Marshall, Life of Washington, cited, 
162 n. 

Martin, Brigadier-General James 
G., report of New Bern in O. R., 
137 n. ; commands North Carolina, 
reserves, 281 n.; 69 n.; 325, 326 
n. 

Martin's brigade of Hoke's division, 
210 n. 

Martinsburg, Lee's headquarters 
near, 105; troops in, 287; 162 n. 

Maryland, invasion of, xv; Lee 
ordered to, xxiv; Lee and people 
of, xxiv; Lee invites, to unite 
with the South, September 8, '62, 

61 n.; Lee proposes invasion of, 

62 n.; campaign, 104 n.; 6, 169 n. 
Maryland battalion drives back 

Federals, 213 

Mattaponi River, York River Rail- 
road at, 8 n.; Sheridan camps on, 
221; 190 and note, 192, 195 

Mattoax Bridge, 207 n. 

Maury, Major-General Dabney H., 
unites with Taylor and Forrest, 
350 n.; 354 n. 

McCabe, Captain W. Gordon, 
biography of, xxxiii; custodian of 
Lee's papers, xxxviii 

McCausland, General John, de- 
fends Va. & Tenn. R. R., 180 n.; 
career of, 198 n.; 197 



Index 



385 



McCausIand's brigade raids Cham- 
bersburg, 288 n. 

McClellan, General George B., 
death-trap of, ix; Lee's battle 
with.^xxii; supposed plans of, 
June, '62, 7; at Seven Pines, 7 n.; to 
Stanton quoted, 7 n.; description 
quoted, 8 n.; Lee's plan of attack 
against, June, '62, 15 n.; driven 
back in Seven Days' Fight, 15 
n.; learns of Jackson's plans, 16 n.; 
sends to Stanton for confirmation 
of deserter's report, 18 n.; appar- 
ently at sea as to Lee's plans, i8n. 
plans to break line of, fall through 
June 2-], '62, 20 n.; abandons 
right bank of Chickahominy, 
June 2-], '62, 20 n.; Porter joins, 

20 n. ; watched from banks of 
Chickahominy, 21; makes for 
James River, June, '62, 21; sup- 
porting fleet moves to James 
River, June, '62, 21 n.; joins fleet 
at Harrison's Landing, June, '62, 

21 n.; entrenched at Malvern 
Hill, July I, '62, 22 n.; changes 
base, June, '62, 22 n.; attacked, 
and retreats from Malvern Hill, 

22 n.; Lee's reason for failure to 
destroy, 23 n. ; plans of, discussed 
by Lee, July 3, '62,25; movement, 
after withdrawal from Malvern 
Hill, July I, '62, 26 n.; letter to, 
captured, quoted, 27 n. ff.; note 
to Lincoln quoted, 27; on James 
River, July 9, '62, 28; General 
Stuart ordered to watch, 32 n.; 
Peninsula campaign collapse, 37 
n.; ordered to join Pope, August, 
'62, 38 n.; at Harrison's Landing, 
39 n.; to be informed of alleged 
murders by Federals, August 2, 
'62, 44; asks for reinforcements, 
46 n.; sends away troops, 47 n.; 
still sending off troops is French's 
report, 51 n.; portion of, men 
supposed to have joined Pope, 
August 26, '62, 52 ; report in O. R., 
52 n.; Pope waits for, August, '62, 
57 n.; beaten at Manassas, August 
30, '62, 60; at Centre ville, 62 n.; 
receives captured letter, 63 n.; 
suggests attack on Lee, 66 n. ; 
effect of removal of, from com- 
mand, 67 n.; vi, XX, 33 n., 37, 50, 
135 n-, 175 



McClellan 's Bridge, 212 
McClellan's Own Story, cited xxxv, 

18 n., 27 n.; quoted, 7 n. 
McDonald, Major, report of, 329 
McDowell commands force in 

"Army of Virginia," 37 n. 
McDowell's corps, estimate of, 

August 20, '62, 50 n. 
McGowan, General S., a So. Caro- 
lina brigade under, 115 
McGuire, Dr., Ewell's physician, 

256 n. 
Mcllwaine, Dr. H. R., editor's 

obligations to, xxxviii 
McLaws, General Lafayette, and 
division returns to Chancellors- 
ville, 90; career of, 182 n. 
McLaws' division, 35 n. 
McLean, Lee surrenders at, house, 

xxxii 
Meade, General, attacks Lee at 
Morton's Ford, 136 n.; criticism 
of, 169 n.; crossing the Rapidan, 
170; rear-guard at Bristoe, 170 n.; 
143, 159, 272 
Meadow Bridge, location of, 201 n.; 

burned, 201 
Mechanicsville, campaign from, vi.; 
Jackson leaves, July 13, '62, 38 n.; 
Lee at, 223; xxxii, 150, 203 
Mechanicsville Turnpike, Jackson 
ordered to, July 8, '62, 32 n.; 
crosses Chickahominy, 201 
Meherrin road, 252 
Memphis, 254, 349 
Mercury, article concerning Gettys- 
burg in the, 108 n. 
Meridian, General Taylor at, 337, 

349 
Meriweather, General, report of, 

350 n. 
Merritt's division under General 

Gibbs, 352 
Mexican War, Anderson in, 10 n.; 
Huger a colonel in, 1 1 n. ; Edward 
Johnson in, 89 n.; D. H. Hill in, 
99 
Mexico, 334 n. 
Mexico, city of, 81 
"Middle MiHtary Division," Emory 

in command of, 314 n. 
Milford, Kemper's and Corse's 

brigades at, 191; 188 n. 
Military Academy, Rosser pupil at 

Virginia, 135 n. 
Military Committee, 267 



386 



Index 



Military Memoirs of a Confederate, 
by Alexander, xxxiv; cited, 3 n.; 
Huger acquitted in, 11 n.; Alex- 
ander's account of Gettysburg 
in, III n. 

Militia system, Governor of Georgia 
suggests a, 342 n. 

Milroy, General, "assessment 
orders" of, 70 n.; crueltiesof, 71 n. 

"Mine Run," conclusion of the, 
campaign, 129 n.; Lee's army on, 

174 

Minor, Mrs. Kate Pleasants, index 
made by, xxxiii; editor's obliga- 
tion to, xxxviii 

Mississippi River, A. T. Smith's 
corps ascends, 254; impossible to 
cross, 347; 7 n. 

Missouri, murders committed by 
Federals in, 44 n. ; contemplated 
moves into, 348 

Mitchell, Surgeon, receives leave 
to visit his mother, 107 

Mobile, movement against, 348; 
Taylor reports siegeat, 353 ; 160 n., 
283 

Mobile Bay, Federals on eastern 
shore, 349; falls to Federals, 354 
n. 

Monocacy, Wallace defeated at, 
280 n., 283 

Montevallo, reported Federal ad- 
vance on, 350 n. 

Montgomery threatened, 349 

Montgomery R. R., Federal cavalry 
on, 349 

Moody's 1st corps, 140 n. 

Moore, J. F., signal officer, 277 n. 

Morgan, John H., referred to, 39; 
raid on Kentucky, July 4, '62, 
40 n.; acting brigadier, 40 n.; men 
deserting Lee to join, 131; law 
passed puts, in regular service, 
133 n.; supposed to be in Penn- 
sylvania, 222 

Morgan, General John Tyler, recom- 
mendation by Lee, 96 n.; recom- 
mended for promotion, 225; tele- 
gram regarding, 357; left to watch 
Sherman, 358 and note; 147 

Morris, Dr. W. S., letter to, quoted, 
312 n., 350 n.; telegram to, quoted, 
35611., 357 n.; 188 n. 

Morton's Ford, enemy crosses at, 
129; Meade attacks Ewell at, 
136 n.; Lee reports enemy at, 136 



Mosby, Colonel John S., skirmish 
by, March, '63, 83; defends Gen- 
eral Stuart, III n.; and his 
rangers, 132 n.; law passed puts 
in regular service, 133 n.; 159, 260 

Mosby's Rangers referred to, 42 n. 

Mossy Creek, R. R. bridge over, 
burned, 301 

Munford, Wm. B., reference to, 44 

Murfreesboro, battle of, 69 n.; 
General Stewart at, 243 n. 



N 



Naglie, General, commander Fed- 
eral district, 98 

Nance's shop, defeat of Gregg at, 
265 

Napoleon, reference to, xviii 

Narrative, Johnston's, xxxv 

Nashville, 330 

" Nassau bacon " cut off, 308 n. 

Nelson, friendship with Colling- 
wood cited, xxiii 

Nettles, General, in charge Blue 
Mountain line, 350 n. 

Neuse, the, barricaded, 147 n. 

New Berne, expedition, February 
I, '64, 136 n.; barricade at, 147 n.; 
Hoke operating against, 173 n.; 
169 n., 173, 306 

New Bridge, McClellan at, 4 n. , 

New Bridge Road open to Con- 
federates, 18 

New Castle Ferry, Sheridan at, 221 

New Creek, Rosser captures train 
from, 134 

New Market Road, 238 

New Orleans, murders committed 
by Federals in, 44 n.; reports 
from, 348; 6 n. 

New River, 351 

New Verdiersville, Lee's head- 
quarters at, 169 

New York, " draft-riots, " in, 169 n. 

New York Herald, Lee comments on 
news in, 272 

New York regiment on way to 
front, 168 

Newport News, General Burnside 
leaves, August i, '62, 49 n. 

Nicholls, General Francis T., spoken 
of by Lee, 127; wounded at 
Gettysburg, 127 n.; career 
briefly outlined, 127 n. 



Index 



3^7 



NichoUs' brigade in Johnson's divi- 
sion, 89 n. 

Nickerson 's Hotel, Sherman's head- 
quarters at, 344 n. 

Nineteenth Corps rushed to Wash- 
ington, 280 

19th Mississippi, 181 n. 

9th Alabama, C. M. Wilcox colonel 
of, 116 n.; in Wilcox's brigade, 
117 n. 

9th Louisiana, Hays' brigade, 128 
n.; Colonel Stafford of, 128; 35 n. 

9th Virginia, in Armistead's brigade, 
58 n.; of W. H. F. Lee's brigade, 
72 n. 

9th Virginia Cavalry, Chambliss' 
brigade, 166 n.; 151 

Norfolk, threatened movement 
from, 85 n.; garrison taken from, 
199 

North Anna, the, see Anna, North 

North Anna River, Grant reaches, 
193 n. 

North Branch, 134 

North Carolina, Lee's fears con- 
cerning, 69; Lee suggests protec- 
tion of R. R. from, 85; Whiting 
in, 264 n.; 173 

North Carolina, 4th, Featherston 
in command of, 9 n. 

"North Carolina Reserve Corps," 
281 n. 

Northeast Alabama, 349 

Northern Neck, enemy going to, 
lOi; atrocities at, 259; Mosby 
dispatched to, 260 n. 

Northern Virginia, new attack to be 
through, 37 n. 

Northern Virginia, Army of, xi, xvii 

Northrup, L. B., Commissary 
General, 311 

Nottoway, fear for bridges over, 
252 



O 



Occoquan, 73 n. 

Official Records, of Union and Con- 
federate armies, iii; "reports" 
and "correspondence" in, v, note; 
Lee's dispatches in, xxvi; used 
for reference, xxxiii; copies of 
letters in, xxxvi; report of Seven 
Pines in, 9 n.; Huger's report in, 
15 n.; Holmes' report in, 23 n.; 
General Stuart's report in, 24 n.; 



report of General Wise in, 24 n.; 
Davis' reply to Lee in, 27 n.; 
Lee's reply to Jackson, July, '62, 
in, 38 n.; Jackson's report in, 
July, '62, 39 n.; Lee to Randolph, 
40 n.; Loring to Randolph, 40 n.; 
letter from Lee to Jackson in, 43 
n.; Davis letters' concerning 
Federal murders in, 44 n.; Davis' 
letter of August 2, '62, in, 45 n.; 
Lee to Longstreet in, 48 n.; 
estimate of Pope's forces in, 50 n.; 
letter from Colonel Imboden to C. 
W. Russell in, 50 n.; McClellan's 
report in, 52 n.; dispatch from Lee 
to Davis, September 3, '62, in, 
60 n.; Mosby's report in, 83 n.; 
Lee's report, June 7, '63, loi n.; 
letter from Seddon to Lee, June 
9, '63, 102 n.; General Early's 
account of capture of Winchester, 
103 n.; letter from Davis to Lee 
concerning Sam Jones, 103 n.; 
letter from Lee to Seddon con- 
cerning Pettigrew's death, 106 n.; 
Lee's letter to J. E. B. Stuart of 
July 24, '63, in, 107 n.; all reports 
of Gettysburg in, 11 1 n. ; Davis' 
answer to Lee's letter of August 
8th in, 113 n.; amnesty in, 123 n.; 
Jones' applications in, 125 n.; 
Seddon to Jones in, 125 n.; letter 
from Rosser to Lee in, 132 n.; 
Lee to Cooper in, 133 n.; General 
Rosser's report in, 135 n. ; report 
of Meade's attack at Alorton's 
Ford in, 136 n.; Ransom's report 
in, 13.7. n-; report of New Bern 
expedition in, 137 n.; correspon- 
dence on "left flank" movement 
in, 172 n.; Bragg to Beauregard, 
Hoke to Beauregard, 233 n.; 
Grant's report in, 235 n.; Beaure- 
gard to Bragg, 248 n. ; Lee's letter, 
June 17th, in, 248 n.; Lee to W. 
H. F. Lee, June 17, '64, 249; Lee's 
correspondence with officers, 250 
n. ; Lee congratulates Hampton, 
254 n.; Hampton letters to Bragg, 
254 n.; Lee to Breckinridge in, 
300 n.; Seddon to Lee, 301 n.; 
"Hicksford raid," 307 n.; Beaure- 
gard to Lee cited, 337 n.; Fitz 
Lee's report in, 353 n.; cited, 
viii, X, xvii, 3 n., 6 n., 7 n., 8 n., 
9 n., 20 n., 32 n., 36 n., 39 n., 49 n,, 



388 



Index 



Official Records — Continued. 

58 n., 187 n., 287 n., 305 n., 324 n., 
330 n., 334 n., 338 n., 339 n., 351 
n. 

Old Church, Custer at, 207 

Old Point, mail boat reaches, 51 n.; 
270 

O'Neal, Colonel E. A., suggested 
for new appointment, 95; recom- 
mendation for, as commander 
Rodes' brigade, 96; complaint of, 
146 ff. ; cause of complaint of, 148 
n.; Lee withdraws recommenda- 
tion for promotion of, 225; ca- 
pacities of, 225 flf. 

Orange and Alexandria R. R., 
Jackson captures cars of, August 
26, '62, 54; a route for supplies, 
178 and note; bridges on, being 
rebuilt, 232 

Orange Court House, Lee asks re- 
inforcements be sent to, 1 14; Lee's 
headquarters near, 124; Meade 
at, September 13, '63, 170 n. 

Organization, see Army, Artillery 

Osbom, Private Albert, sentence on, 
remitted, 151 

Osborne Turnpike, 238 

Owen, Colonel John, referred to, 

44 
Own Story, McClellan's, xxxv 



Page County, Va., Hampton's 
brigade at, 72 

Palmer, Colonel J. B., 281 and note 

Palmetto State, 315 n. 

Pamunkey River, York River Rail- 
road at, 8 n.; Federal fleet on, 
207 and note; 190 n., 193 n., 196, 
234 n. 

Paris, Comte de, a foreign critic, 
iii 

Parker's artillery in Colonel Lee's 
battalion, 59 n. 

Patterson Creek, Rosser destroys 
bridge over, 134 

Patton, Colonel George S., 211 and 
note 

Paul, Colonel Samuel R., visits Lee, 

235 
Paxton, Major, 317 

Pedee Valley, 337 
Pegram, Captain, 245 
Pegram's brigade, 141 n. 



Pemberton, Lieut.-Colonel, guns in 
charge of, 261 n. 

Pender, General William D., promo- 
tion of, discussed by Lee, 91; 
"an excellent officer," 93 n.; ca- 
reer briefly outlined, 94 n., 95 n.; 
classmate of J. E. B, Stuart, 94 
n.; fatally wounded at Gettys- 
burg, 94 n.; promotion discussed 
by Lee, 96; death of, 115 n.; Wil- 
cox suggested as successor to, 115 

Pendleton, Brigadier-General W. 
N., Lee and, xiv; plan of, for 
organization of artillery, 74 n.; 
ordered to report to General 
Cooper, 137; itinerary of, 172 n. ; 
Lee discusses, 242; 242 n., 255 

Pendleton, Colonel Edmund, of the 
15th Louisiana, 128 n. 

Peninsula, plans to drive McClellan 
down, 20 n. 

Peninsula campaign, Lee's plans 
for, 6 n.; prediction of Lee con- 
cerning, 7 n.; collapse of, 37 n.; 
135 n. 

Penn, Colonel David B., suggested 
for promotion, 128, 129 

Pennsylvania campaign, xii; Lee 
plans, invasion, xxviii; Jackson's 
proposed advance into, 15 n. ; vii, 6 

Perry's brigade, 97 n. 

Petersburg, Ransom's brigade at, 
13 n.; Gilmer to examine forti- 
fications of, 46 n.; A. P. Hill 
killed at, April 2, '65, 93 n.; 
Rosser captures train on way to, 
134; investment of, 169 n.; a 
route for supplies, 177 and 178 n.; 
saved by Beauregard, 200; attack 
on, repulsed, 224 n.; siege of, 

227 n. ; reported advance on, 

228 n.; plans for defense of, 230 
n.; Smith's army moves toward, 
235 n.; Beauregard falls back 
on, 236 n.; Turnpike, Federals 
on, 244; Beauregard's defense of, 
246 n. ; Lee orders troops to, 249; 
Lee's headquarters moved to near, 
250; road from, to Richmond, 
251; Beauregard's lines at, 252; 
Grant attacks line at, 258 n.; 
army at, short of rations, 286 n.; 
troops withdrawn from, 289; 
Grant's advance on, 290 n.; 
"Hewlett line" at, 306 n.; goods 
destroyed at, 329 n.; Federals 



Index 



389 



Petersburg — Continued. 

break line near, 353 n.; lines near, 
threatened, 358; xvi, xvii, 174 n., 
214 n., 215 n., 231, 234, 236, 244, 
300 n., 347 n. , „ „ . 

Petersburg & Richmond R. R., ui 
operation, 253; partially de- 
stroyed by Federals, 254 n.; 
327 n. 
Petersburg & Weldon Railroad, 
Lee warns government against 
attacks on, October 25, '62, 65 n.; 
178 n. 
Pettigrew, General J. J., regiment 
with Hill, 100; fatally wounded, 
106, 106 n. ; commands part of 
Heth's division, 109 n. 
Pettigrew's brigade, 92 n., 97 n. 
Pettigrew's division, 97 
Phelan, Hon. Mr., 147 
Philadelphia Inquirer, letter pub- 
lished in, concerning mail boat, 
51; Lee cites, 223; Northern news 
from, 265 
Phillips, Private Geo. W., sentence 

on, remitted, 153 
Phillips House, Lee's headquarters 

at, 25 
Phillips' (Georgia) Legion of Hamp- 
ton's brigade, 71 n.; reinlists, 139 
Pickett, General, at Gettysburg, 
xxix; has no brigade, 99; reports 
to Lee June 4, '63, 100; wanted by 
Lee to unite with his division, 
loi n.; ordered to Culpeper, loi; 
49th Va. Regt. to go to, 120; 
report of New Bern in O. R., 
137 n.; 136, 253 n., 356 n. 
Pickett's division, reaches Drewry s 
Bluff, 229 n.; ordered to lines 
on Bermuda Neck, 244; to guard 
lines at Ashton Creek, 252; 
beaten at Five Forks, 353 n.; 
120 n. 
Piedmont, Federal victory at, 217 n. 
Piedmont R. R., Lee pleads for 
improvement of, x; food carried 
on, 286; regulation of, 324 flf.; 326 
n. 
Pierpont government, 163 n. 
Plymouth, 312 
Pohite Creek, Jackson at, 18 
Poindexter's house. Dr., Lee's head- 
quarters at, 24 
Point Lookout, plans to release 
Confederate prisoners at, 271 n.; 



expedition, 279 n.; Confederate 

prisoners moved from, 280 and 

note 
Polk, Lieut.-General Leonidas, 

death of, 237 and note; successor 

to, discussed, 242; 147 
Pontoon bridges, Hoke's division 

ordered to protect, 232; Lee 

orders, built at Chafin's Bluff, 

Pool, Private Alex, sentence on, 
remitted, 152 

Pool, Private James T., sentence on, 
remitted, 132 

Pope, Major-General John, reported 
at Warrentown, July 25, '62, 37; 
commander of "Army of Vir- 
ginia," 37 n. ; begins movements 
against Gordonsville, July 14, 
'62, 38 n.; McClellan ordered to 
join, 38 n. ; too strong for Jackson 
to encounter, 39; beaten at Cedar 
Mountain, 47 n.; supposedly 
joined by General Burnside and 
General King, August 16, '62, 49; 
forces of, estimated, 49; joined 
by King's division, 49 n.; forces 
estimated, 50 n.; supposedly 
joined by some of McClellan's 
men, August 26, '62, 52; sup- 
posedly reinforced, August 27, 
'62, 54; kept from pursuit of 
Jackson by Halleck, 57 n.; Lee 
decides to attack, August 16, '62, 
57 n.; alarmed by Lee's move- 
ments changes position, 57 n.; 
learns of Jackson's movement, 
57 n.; sends Hooker to locate 
Jackson, 58 n.; beaten at Ma- 
nassas, August 30, '62, 60; letter 
to, from Lee, August 31, '62, 
60 n.; Lee declines truce with, 

60 n.; driven beyond Bull Run, 

61 n.; at Germantown, Septem- 
ber I, '62, 62 n.; at Centreville, 

62 n.; classmate of Stewart, 243 
n.; 56 n., 223 

Poplar Spring Church, engage- 
ment at, 332 n. 

Port Republic, battle of, 6 n. 

Port Royal, 193 

Porter, General Fitz John, Federals 
under command of, June 27, '62, 
19 n.; joins McClellan, 20 n. 

Porter's corps starts to move, Au- 
gust 16, '62, 49 n. 



390 



Index 



Potomac, army crosses, September 
4-7, '62, 62 n.; Lee withdraws 
across the, 64 n. ; Lee moves army 
to south side of the, 106; trans- 
ports reported on, 231; Early 
instructed to cross, 240 n.; 
flotilla, 276 

Potomac Railroad, viii 

Price, Private Joseph, sentence on, 
remitted, 153 

Prince, General, commander Fed- 
eral district, 98 

Prince William, a report from, 232 

Prisoners, held as hostages, 71 n.; 
taken in Wilderness, 181 n.; 
reports from, 222, 223 

Pryor, General, captures Federal 
picket lines, 357 n. 

Pryor, Private C. B., sentence on, 
remitted, 153 

Pryor's brigade, 35 n. 



Q 



Queen, Private Joseph, sentence on, 

remitted, 152 
Queen, Pi-ivate Marada, sentence 

on, remitted, 152 



R 



Raccoon Ford, Pope's line from, 

57 n. 
Rains, General G. J., career of, 9 n.; 

sketch of, Confederate Military 

History, 9 n. 
Raleigh, meat at, 308 n.; meat 

ordered to Wilmington, 311 
Ramey, Private David, pardon 

asked for, 149 
Ramey, Private L W., pardon asked 

for, 149 
Ramey, Private J. W. H., pardon 

asked for, 149 
Randolph, G. W., letter from Lee to, 

quoted, 6 n. ; grandson of Thomas 

Jefferson and Secretary of War, 

21 n. 
Ransom, General Robert, new 

brigade of, 13; report of, O. R., 

13 n.; position of, July 3, '62, 25; 

report in O. R., 137 n.; succeeds 

General Barton, 137 n.; reports 

strength of forces at Richmond, 

209 n.; praise for brigade under, 

347 n. 



Ransom, Jr., Robert, division for, 
wanted by Lee, 97; to be put in 
General French's place, 97 

Ransom's brigade, reinforces Huger, 
14 n.; returned to Beauregard, 
223; at Chafin's Bluff, 236; 
ordered to join Beauregard, 242; 
92 n., 97 n., 214 n., 230 n. 

Ransom's division, Beauregard 
asks return of, 233 n.; 97 

Rapidan Bridge partially de- 
stroyed, 301 

Rapidan River, the, renewal of, 
line, vii; campaign from the, viii; 
Raccoon Ford on the, 57 n.; Pope 
remains behind the, 57 n.; Gen- 
eral Stuart supposed to have 
crossed the, April 30, '63, 85; 
outposts on the, 87 n.; Lee's 
report concerning, 114; Lee re- 
ports enemy on the, 136; Meade 
crossing the, 170; Lee crosses, 
170; Federals cross, 177 n.; ix, 
146 n., 168 n., 197 n. 

Rappahannock, Burnside crosses 
the, XXV.; new movements begun 
on, 47 n.; line relieved, August 
29, '62, 55; Lee believes enemy 
moved from, 56; Lee determines 
to hold the, 57 n.; Lee refers to 
victory of, 64 n.; Lee's move- 
ments on, 67 n.; Hooker to move 
across, 87 n.; infantry crosses, 
88 n.; Lee drives Sedgwick across 
the, 90; Pickett and Collins on 
the, 100; Meade at, 159; railroad 
near, 195; atrocities on south side 
of, 259; vii, 168, 193 

Rappahannock Bridge, 113 

Read's battalion of artillery of 
Hoke's division, 210 n. 

Reams' Station, track torn up at, 
259 n.; Gregg repulsed near, 
283 

Rebel War Clerk's Diary, by Jones, 
xxxv; cited, 279 n. 

Recollections and Letters of General 
Robert E. Lee, by Captain R. E. 
Lee, xxxiii; cited, 4 n. 

Red River, 254 

Red River expedition, 185 

Reilly 's battery in Whiting's brigade, 
12 n. 

"Reserves," explanation of, 295 n. 

Rhett, T. S., rushed to Gordons- 
ville, 85 n. 



Index 



391 



Rhett's South Carolina artillery in 
Colonel Lee's battalion, 59 n. 

Rhodes, Mr., xxxv 

Rich, Lieut.-Colonel W. W., in 
command Phillips' Legion, 71 n. 

Richmond, one of Lee's horses, 5 
n. 

Richmond, defense of, vi; Grant's 
objective, viii; lack of troops and 
supplies for, x; Lee's return to, 
xix, xxxii; railroad from, to West 
Point, Va., 7 n.; Williamsburg 
Road to, 13 n.; Lee's plans for 
protection of, 31; McClellan fails 
to reach, July, '62, 32 n.; Lee 
writes of troops about, August 
II, '62, 45; Gilmer to examine 
fortifications of, 46 n.; Lee thinks 
scene of war will move from, 51; 
battles of, referred to by Lee, 
64 n.; Burnside plans advance 
on, 67; return of Davis to, 68; Lee 
suggests protection of R. R. at, 
85; reinforcements to be sent 
from, to Orange C. H., 114; 
threatened with raids, 133 n.; 
possible movements against, 143 
ff,; Lee's opinion regarding de- 
fense of, 147 n.; troops ordered to, 
168 n.; on usual route for supplies, 
178 n.; Lee suggests withdrawal 
to, 186 n., 187; Lee's fears for, 
192; growing danger to, 193 n.; 
saved by Beauregard, 200; 
strength of forces at, 209 n.; rail- 
road connection to, 221 n.; in 
charge of G. W. C. Lee, 249; 
road from, to Petersburg, 251; 
Grant decides feint on, 290 n.; 
no salt meat at, 307; tobacco 
destroyed in, 329 n.; Blair in, 
333 n,; Bragg ordered to, 336 n.; 
lines near, threatened, 358; Lee 
suggests evacuation of, 359 n.; 
ix, XX, xxi, 159 n., 160 n., 163 n., 
168 n., 170 n., 171, 176, 185, 193, 
195, 215 n., 220 n., 348 

Richmond & Danville R. R., 
attacked by Kautz, 174 n.; 178 
n., 286 n. 

Richmond & Petersburg R. R., 
174, 178 n., 306 n. 

Richmond, Fredericksburg & Po- 
tomac R. R., Lee prevents ad- 
vance on, 88 n.; 178 n., 190 n.; 
192 n., 193 n. 



Ridley's Shop, Hill's corps moved 
to, 239 

Riely, John W., Captain, A. A. G., 
137, 165 

Ripley, General R. S., on way to 
Lee, August 30, '62, 59; account 
of, 312; joins General Hood, 
312 n.; 312 and note 

Ritchie, Thomas, founder Rich- 
mond Inquirer, 241 n.; biography 
by C. M. Ambler, 241 n. 

River Road, the, 202 

Rives' battery of artillery joins 
Holmes, 24 n., 153 

Roanoke, Federals on the, 306; 
Federal move on the, 360; 345 

Robertson, General Beverly H., Lee 
writes of, 43; at Second Manassas, 
43 n.; unsatisfactory as a com- 
mander in Jackson's opinion, 43 
n.; commander of the "Laurel 
Brigade," 73 n. 

Robertson's River, Pope's line from 
Rapidan to, 57 n. 

Robins, W. T., to T, 0. Chestney, 
cited, 277 n. 

Robinson, Private Jno. W., sen- 
tence on, remitted, 152 

Robinson, Private Wm. F., sen- 
tence on, remitted, 152 

"Rockridge Artillery" organized, 
198 n. 

Rocky-mount Ferry, cavalry moves 
toward, 337 

Rodes, General Robert E., to suc- 
ceed D. H. Hill, Lee wishes, 87; 
career reviewed, 89 n.; brigade 
consists of , 89 n.; takes command 
at Chancellorsville, 89 n.; sug- 
gested by Lee as successor for 
D. H. Hill, 92 n.; letter from, 
sent to Davis, 95; requested sent 
back to Lee, 129; report in O. R., 
130 n.; commends Colonel Mor- 
gan, 225 

Rodes' brigade, 146, 225 

Rodes' division, 166 n. 

Rodgers, U. S. A., Colonel R. S., 
demands release of Dooly, 162 n.; 
threat of, 163 n. 

Rosser, General Thos, L., letter to 
Lee quoted, 132 n.; captures 
train and contents, 134; report in 
O. R., 135 n.; career briefly out- 
lined, 135 n. 

Rosser's brigade, 316 n. 



39^ 



Index 



Russell, C. W., letter to, from 

Colonel Imboden, O. R., 50 n. 
Rutledge, Colonel B. H,, 316 n. 



St. Helena compared to Lexington, 
xviii 

Salem Church, 202 n. 

Salem Church Road, Federal 
cavalry on, 236 n. 

Salisbury, regiment ordered from, 
48:351 n. 

Saltville, Federals attack, 299 

Sanders, Colonel L. C. C, com- 
mands brigade during Forney's 
imprisonment, 122 n. 

Sandy River, Federals retreat 
towards, 299 

Savage Station, Magruder at battle 
of, June 29, '62, 22 n.; oppor- 
tunities lost at, 32 n. 

Savannah, General Hardee at, 315 
n.; goods captured by Sherman 
in, 328 n.; 206 n. 

Scales, General A. M., a No. Caro- 
lina brigade under, 115 

Schofield, General John McAllister, 
joins Sherman, 339; union with 
Sherman's army, 345 

Schofield's (Twenty-third) corps, 
330 n. 

Scott, General, comparison with 
army of, 81 

Secession convention, Conrad a 
leader in, 162 n. 

2nd Army Corps, 353 n. 

2nd Florida, Perry's brigade, 97 n. 

2nd Georgia in Walker's brigade, 
24 n. 

2nd Georgia battalion, 181 n. 

2nd Louisiana, Nicholls' brigade, 

127 n.; Colonel Williams of the, 

128 n. 

Second Manassas, Lee's aggressive- 
ness at, xxi; Jackson's campaign 
at, 33 n.; battle of, 38 n.; General 
Robertson at, 43 n.; estimate of 
Pope's forces at, 50 n.; victory 
reported by Lee, 59; final day of 
battle at, August 30, '62,61 n.; 
xvii; xxiii 

Second Manassas campaign, letter 
relating to, 37 n. ; beginning of, 
46 n. ; first step in, 54 n, 

2nd Maryland, 194 n. 



2nd Maryland Artillery, 194 n. 
2nd Mississippi in Whiting's bri- 
gade, 12 n. 
2nd North Carolina, of W. H. F. 

Lee's brigade, -12 n. ; 152 
2nd North Carolina battalion, 

Daniel's brigade, lOon. 
2nd North Carolina, Cavalry re- 

inlists, 139 
2nd South Carolina of Hampton's 

brigade, 71 n. 
2nd Virginia of Fitzhugh Lee's 

brigade, 72 n. 
2nd Virginia Cavalry in Ashby's 

"Laurel Brigade," 43 n. 
Secretary of the Treasury, Chase's 

resignation as, 272 n. 
Seddon, Hon. James A., letter 
from, to Lee, June 9, '63, O. R., 
102 n.; quotation concerning 
Pettigrew from Lee's letter to, 
106 n. ; General Jones' letter to, 
quoted, 124 n.; to Jones in O. R,, 
125 n. ; detailed report to, of 
assaults, June 3, '64, 213 n.; Lee 
to, cited, 253 n.; to Lee, cited, 
301 n.; requests food be sent to 
Wilmington, 310; orders meat to 
Wilmington, 311; succeeded by 
J. C. Breckenridge, 338 n.; 200 n., 
212 and note 
Dispatches and Telegrams from 

Lee to Seddott 
Reports enemy's position and 

movement, June 4, '63, 100 
Advising position, 189, 190 
Reports attack on Beauregard's 

lines, June 17, '64, 247, 248 
Regarding appointments of 

Morgan and O'Neal, 225 ff. 
Reports Vaughan's attack at 
Bhie Springs September 24, '64, 
298 
Report on engagement at Salt- 
ville, October 4, '64, 299 
Reports partial destruction Rapi- 
dan Bridge, October 7, '64, 300 
Reports R. R, bridge burned, 

October 19, '64, 301 
Reports movement against Fort 
Branch, December 13, '64, 
306 
Federals' moves, December 17, 

'64. 309 
Reports movements Federal gun- 
boats, December 25, '64, 311 



Index 



393 



Sedgwick, General, sent to attack 
Early, 88 n. ; retreats after attack 
by Lee, 90 

Selma, threatened, 349; Federals 
column nearing, 354; captured by 
Wilson, 355 n.; 350 n. 

Semmes, General Paul J., 35 n. 

Semmes' brigade, 35 n. 

Senatobia, raids at, 341 n. 

Seven Days' Fight, referred to, 
xvii; McClellan driven back, 
15 n.; conclusion of, 32 n.; 
General Taylor at, 37 n.; General 
Branch in, 39 n.; Colonel Smith's 
brigade during, 41 n.; D. H. Hill 
at, 99 n.; Rosser at the, 135 n.; 
46 n. 

Seven Pines, battle of, xx, 4 n., 
7 n.; report of, O. R., gn.; General 
Rains in command at, 9 n.; 
Anderson in command at, 10 n. 
Colonel Jenkins at battle of, 33; 
General Rodes wounded at, 89 n. 
14 n., 150, 203 n. 

17th Virginia battalion of General 
Jones' brigade, 72 n.; commanded 
by Lieut-Colonel Funston, 72 n. 

17th Virginia cavalry battalion in 
Ashby's "Laurel Brigade," 43 n. 

7th Louisiana, Hays' brigade, 128 n. 
Colonel Penn of the, 128 n.; 35 n. 

7th North Carolina in Lane's 
brigade, 115 n.; 181 n. 

7th North Carolina Infantry, Gen- 
eral Branch in command of, 39 n. 

7th Tennessee, Archer's brigade, 
97 n. _ 

7th Virginia of General Jones' bri- 
gade, 72 n. 

7th Virginia Cavalry in Ashby's 
"Laurel Brigade," 43 n. 

Sharpsburg, see Antietam; General 
Branch killed at, 39 n.; General 
Lawton wounded at, 94 n.; D. H. 
Hill, at, 99 n.; xvii, 69 n., 169 n. 

Sharpshooters, plans for use of, 175 

Shenandoah Valley, Federal control 
for, 38 n.; railroad connection in, 
221 n.; destruction of supplies in, 
308 n. 

Sheridan, General Philip, cuts off 
railroads, 199 n.; defeats Stuart, 
199 n.; sent to aid Hunter, 218 
n.; engages Hampton and Fitz- 
hugh Lee, 219 n.; crosses Pamun- 
key, 221; suppHes accompanying, 



221; near Bowling Green, 222; 
Hampton to attack, 249; at Tre- 
vilians, 259 n.; raid through 
Virginia, 290 n.; joins Grant, 
352 n.; at Dinwiddle Court 
House, 353 n.; 192, 254 and note, 
332 n. 

Sheridan's cavalry at Dinwiddle, 
352; at Hatcher's Run, 352; 
attacks Pickett's division, 353 
n. 

Sherman, General, William Tecum- 
sch, failure of, at Kenesaw Moun- 
tain, 265; in battle of Kenesaw 
Mountain, 265 n. ; quoted, 266, n.; 
Lee hopes to keep from Charles- 
ton, 313; "march to the sea," 
315 n.; goods captured by, 328 
n.; about to oppose Hardee, 332 
n. ; Bragg and Johnston to oppose, 
336 n. ; position of, 338 ; in front of 
Smithfield, 339; march of, 341 n.; 
headquarters at Nickerson's 
Hotel, 344 n.; estimated size of 
army, 345; 170 n.; 185, 332 n., 

343. 345 
Shivers, Colonel W. R., of ist 

Louisiana, 128 n. 
Shomore, Private Jacob, desertion 

of, discussed, 154 fT. 
Sickles' brigade supposed to have 

joined Pope, 54 
Sigel, General Franz, in Valley of 

Virginia, 171 n.; movements of, 

in "Valley," 180 n.; superseded 

by Hunter, 217 n. ; 168 n. 
1 6th Mississippi, 181 n. 
i6th North Carolina in Scales' 

brigade, 115 n. 
1 6th Virginia in Mahone's brigade, 

58 n.; 181 n. 
6th Alabama Infantry in Rodes' 

brigade, 89 n. 
Sixth Corps defends Washington, 

279 n. 
6th Georgia, General Rains in 

command, 9 n. 
6th Louisiana, Hays' brigade, 128 n.; 

35". 
6th North Carolina in Whiting's 

brigade, 12 n. 
6th Virginia, in Mahone's brigade, 

58 n.; of General Jones' brigade, 

72 n.; 181 n. 
6th Virginia Cavalry in Ashby's 

"Laurel Brigade," 43 n. 



394 



Index 



6ist Alabama Infantry in Rodes' 
brigade, 89 n. 

6 1st Virginia, 181 n. 

Smith, A. T., corps ascends the 
Mississippi, 254 

Smith, General E. Kirby, move of, 
suggested by Lee, 40; commander 
of independent army in East 
Tennessee, 40 n. ; asks for inde- 
pendent command, 41; of 419th 
Virginia regiment, 41 ; under 
Featherstone and Anderson, 41 
n.; biography of, by J. W. Bell, 
42 n.; ordered to join Lee, 52; 
Lee discusses telegrams of, 347; 
commands Trans-Mississippi De- 
partment, 348 n.; 223, 341 n. 

Smith, General Gustavus W., John- 
ston's temporary successor, 3 n. ; 
Lee's instructions to, see O. R., 
46 n.; letter to, quoted, 69 n.; 69, 

314 

Smith, General William Duncan, 
brief career of, C. M. H., 14 n.; 
appointed successor to General 
Early, 92 n.; to be succeeded by 
General Jones, 120; Wharton 
suggested as successor, 121; re- 
signs to become Governor of 
Virginia, 121 n.; 120, 263 

Smith's brigade, 120 n. 

Smith's corps, passes down James 
River, 207 and note; prepares to 
assault Petersburg, 235 n.; 212 n. 

Smithers, H. S., letter to Dr. Morris 
quoted, 312 n. 

Smithfield, wounded moved to, 338; 
Johnston at, 339; 345 

South Anna, the, troops seen' at, 
102; see Anna, South, 193 n. 

South Carolina, Wise's brigade 
called from, 169 n.; troops with- 
drawn from, 178 and note; Law 
sent to, 305 n. ; Hardee's escape 
to, 315 n.; Butler's division sent 
to, 316 

South Mountain, McClellan plans 
to cross, 63 n. 

Southern Express courier, 341 n. 

Southern Historical Society, papers 
of, V 

Southern Historical Society Papers 
used as reference, xxxiii 

Southside Railroad, 178 n., 253 n. 

Southwest \^irginia, W. W. Loring 
commander of army of, 41 n. ; 



Jones in command in, 125 n.; 
Federal advance threatens, 125 n. ; 
General Echols in, 299 n. 

Spanish Fort, fighting at, 350 n.; 
besieged, 354 n. 

Sperryville, Pope's army at, 38 n. 

Spottsylvania, Lee at, xxxi; Daniel 
killed at, 100 n.; campaign, 166 n., 
169 n.; 193 n. 

Spottsylvania Court House, Grant's 
tactics from, viii; Lee's head- 
quarters near, 174; Lee's head- 
quarters at, 179; 177 n. 

Squires, Captain W. C., 78, 78 n. 

Stafford, Colonel Leroy A., sug- 
gested by Lee for promotion, 128; 
made brigadier-general, October, 
8, '63, 129 n. 

Stafford's brigade, at battle of Cedar 
Run, August 9, '62 , 53 n. ; reinlists, 
139; Johnson's division, 164 n. 

Stanton, Secretary, McClellan to, 
quoted, 7 n.; telegram to, from 
McClellan, quoted, 18 n.; an- 
nounces Sherman's failure at 
Kenesaw Mountain, 265; bulle- 
tin to General Dix, 283 

Stark Church, Jackson leaves, 16 n. 

State Library of Virginia, index 
made by Mrs. Minor for, xxxiii; 
Dr. Eckenrode of the, xxxviii 

Staunton, troops rushed to, 85 n.; 
Pender dies at, July 18, '63, 94 n.; 
General Imboden at, 2 17 ; Hunter, 
Crook, and Averill at, 217 n. ; re- 
inforcements reach, 223; 168 n. 

Staunton River, Federals repulsed 
at, 259 n. 

Stephens, Alexander H., works on 
the war by, xxxv; leads cotton 
trading, 322 n.; dispatch quoted, 
334; goes to City Point, 334; 
letter to, quoted, 335 n.; letter of, 
quoted, 335 n.; 331 and note 

Stephenson's Depot, 314 n. 

Steuart, G. H., 141 n. 

Steuart's brigade, in Johnson's divi- 
sion, 89 n., 164 n.; 141 n. 

Stevens, Colonel Walter H., chief 
engineer Confederate army, 237 
and note 

Stewart, General Alexander P., line 
of march, 337; 243 and note, 
255 n. 

Stewart, M., Lee discusses note of, 
302 



Index 



395 



Stone Bridge destroyed, 62 n. 

Stoneman, General George, on the 
Watauga, 351; movements of, 
351 n.; reported advance of, 360 

Stonewall Jackson, a Military Biog- 
raphy, by Henderson, xxxiv 

Stonewall brigade in Johnson's 
division, 90 n.; (Walker's), 164 n. 

Stony Creek, 178 n.; depot, 275; 
communication with, cut off, 
358; 292 

Strasburg, Jackson sent to valley 
near, December, '62, 66 n. 

Stricklin, Private J. M., sentence 
on, remitted, 153 

Stringfellow, Mr., carries note to 
Lee, 302 

Stuart, General, watches McClellan, 
June, '62, 21; dispatches, 24; 
report in O. R., 24 n. ; ordered to 
watch McClellan, July 8, '62, 
32 n.; sent around Pope's flank, 
August 25, '62, 57 n.; movements 
of, February, 1863, 71 n.; brigades 
of his division, 72 n. ; supposed to 
have cut enemy's line at Ger- 
mania and made captures, 85; 
takes command at Chancellors- 
ville, 89 n.; classmate of General 
Pender, 94 n.; letter to, from Lee, 
July 24, '63, in O. R., 107 n.; 
frequently blamed for Gettys- 
burg defeat, iii n.; Stuart's Cav- 
alry in the Gettysburg Campaign, 
Colonel Mosby defends Stuart in 
his, III n.; Lee to, O. R., 125 n.; 
quoted, 133 n.; praises Rosser's 
expedition, 135 n. ; cavalry corps, 
141 n. ; ordered to stop inter- 
ference with private citizens, 
164; vigilance of , 170 n.; cavalry 
defeated, 199 n.; classmate of 
Stewart, 243 n. ; death of, 268 
and note; 42 

Suffolk, Longstreet's old division at, 
85 n.; reinforcements sent Hooker 
from, loi; 159 

Sugar Loaf, Bragg at, 317 

Sumter, Fort, Beauregard at, xx; 6 n. 

Supplies, routes for, 177, 178 n.; 
danger of losing, 191 n. 

Sutton, Private Dan'l J., sentence 
on, remitted, 153 

Sussex, 346 

Swem, Mr. E. G., editor's obliga- 
tions to, xxxviii 



Taliaferro, W. B., slightly wounded, 

August, '62, 55 
Taylor, General R., brigade of, 

organizing, 35 n,; career of, 

briefly outlined, 36 n.; sent to 

Louisiana, 36; promotion of, 

recommended by Jackson, 37 n.; 

of the 9th Louisiana, 129 n.; 

report of, 337, 349; unites with 

Maury and Forrest, 350 n.; 

reports siege at Mobile, 353; 

reports Federals nearing Selma, 

354; telegram from, quoted, 356 

n.; 350 n., 354 n. 
Taylor, General Walter H., letters 

written by, xxxv; Asst. Adjutant 

General, 71 n.; 96, 154, 202 n. 
Taylor, Zachary, father of General 

Taylor, 36 n. 
Taylor's Creek, Hoke's line at, 

252 n. 
Taylor's Virginia Artillery in 

Colonel Lee's battalion, 59 n. 
Taylorsville, Lee's headquarters at, 

197; 198 
Telegraph Road, 203 and note 
Tennessee, movements in, June, '62, 

7 n.; Bragg commands army of, 

40 n. ; Davis' tour through, 68 n. ; 

General Law in, 304 
Tennessee army troops disprove 

slander, 339 
Tennessee River, 354 
loth Alabama in Wilcox's brigade, 

ii7n. 
Tenth Army Corps joins General 

Butler, 179; 185, 186 
loth Louisiana, NichoUs' brigade, 

127 n.; Colonel Waggaman of the, 

128 n. 

loth Virginia of W. H. F. Lee's 

brigade, 72 n. 
loth Virginia Cavalry, Chambliss' 

brigade, 166 n. 
loth Virginia Infantry reinlists, 

139 

Terrill, Colonel J. B., 141 n. 

Terry, General A. H., expedition 
under, 316; wounded at Hare's 
Hill, 346 n. 

Texans, two, spies, 37 

Texas, Lee suggests procuring 
horses from, 274; reported expedi- 
tion against, 348 



396 



Index 



3rd Alabama regiment in Rodes' 

brigade, 89 n. 
3rd Arkansas in Walker's brigade, 

24 n. 
3rd Georgia regiment; in Wright's 

brigade, 58 n.; 181 n. 
3rd Virginia of Fitzhugh Lee's 

brigade, 72 n. 
13th Alabama, under General Rains, 

9 n.; Archer's brigade, 97 n. 
13th N. Carolina in Scales' brigade, 

115 n. 
13th S. Carolina, McGowan's bri- 
gade, 1 1 5 n. 
13th Virginia, of W. H. F. Lee's 

brigade, 72 n.; Smith's brigade, 

120 n. 
13 th Virginia Cavalry, Chambliss' 

brigade, 166 n. 
13th Virginia Infantry reinlists, 139 
30th Virginia in Walker's brigade, 

24 n. 
38th N. Carolina, in Scales' brigade, 

115 n,; 150 
38th Virginia in Armistead's bri- 
gade, 58 n. 
35th Georgia in Thomas' brigade, 

115 n. 
35th Georgia Infantry, Colonel 

Holt of, Ii9n. 
35th North Carolina in Ransom's 

brigade, 13 n., 97 n. 
31st Virginia; Smith's brigade, 120 

n.; 153 
34th North Carolina in Scales' bri- 
gade, 115 n. 
32nd North Carolina, Daniel's 

brigade, 100 n. 
37th North Carolina, in Lane's 

brigade, 115 n.; iSi n. 
37th North Carolina Infantry, 

General Branch in command of, 

39 n- 

36th Virginia, 199 n. 

33rd North Carolina, in Lane's 
brigade, 115 n.; 181 n, 

33rd North Carolina Infantry, Gen- 
eral Branch in command of, 
39 n. 

Thomas, General Edward L., a 
Georgia brigade under, 115; not 
tobe promoted, 1 15; troops under, 
337; reported at Knoxville, 338; 

329. 330. 341 n- 
Thomas' army, movements of, 329 
Thomas' brigade, 119 n. 



Thompson's battery, 77 n. 

Thornton Gap, Ewell's corps goes 
to Culpeper by way of, 107 

Thoroughfare Gap, Jackson reaches, 
58 n. 

Tomlinson, Colonel Abia A., letter 
written by, sent to President 
Davis, 53; writer of letter con- 
cerning Cedar Run, may have 
been, 54 n. 

Torbert, General A. T. A., attempts 
raid on Gordonsville, 311 n. 

Totopotomey Creek, 202, 203 n. 

Totopotomey Ridge, 203 

Trans-Mississippi Department, 
Nicholls serves in 128 n. ; 327 
n., 348 n. 

Traveller, Lee's pet horse, 4 n. 

Tree, J. B., letter from, quoted, 
350 n. 

Treffenstedt, Private Peter, pardon 
asked for, 150 

Trent's Reach, 245 

Trevilian's Station, engagement at, 
219 n.; Hampton at, 259 n. 

Trimble, General, disabled, 89 

Trimble, I. R., slightly wounded, 
August, '62, 55 

Trimble's brigade, General Jack- 
son captures, 55 

Trimble's division to be commanded 
by General Johnson, 88 

Tupelo, Miss., Bragg near, 40 n. 

Turkey Hill, Confederate position at, 
212 

Turner's battery, 77 n. 

Turner's Gap, Longstreet reinforces 
Hill at, 63 n. 

Tuskegee, Alabama, Military In- 
stitute, Iverson a graduate, 127 n. 

1 2th Alabama Infantry in Rodes' 
brigade, 89 n. 

12th Georgia battalion, 206 and 
note 

1 2th Mississippi Infantry in Rodes' 
brigade, 89 n. 

1 2th North Carolina Infantry, 166 
n. 

1 2th S. Carolina, McGowan's bri- 
gade, 115 n.; 149 

1 2th Virginia, in Mahone's brigade, 
58 n.; of General Jones' brigade, 
72 n.; 181 n. 

1 2th Virginia Cavalry in Ashby's 
"Laurel Brigade," 43 n.; rein- 
lists, 139 



Index 



397 



20th North Carolina Infantry, 
1 66 n. 

28th Georgia, Featherston in com- 
mand, 9 n. 

28th North CaroHna, in Lane's 
brigade, 115 n.; 181 n. 

28th North CaroUna Infantry, 
General Branch in command of, 
39 n. 

28th Virginia at Mattoax Bridge, 
207 n. 

25th Army Corps, 353 n. 

25th North Carolina, in Ransom's 
brigade, 13 n., 97 n. 

25th Virginia, Lee proposes trans- 
fer of, 120; Jones' brigade, 120 n.; 
under Colonel J . C. Higginbotham, 
120 n. 

2 1st Virginia, Jones' brigade, 120 n. 

24th Army Corps, 353 n. 

24th North Carolina in Ransom's 
brigade, 13 n., 97 n. 

22nd battalion Virginia infantry in 
Heth's brigade, 97 n. 

22nd Georgia in Wright's brigade, 
58 n.; 151, 181 n. 

22nd North Carolina in Scales' 
brigade, 115 n.; 150 

27 th Georgia, Featherston in com- 
mand, 9 n. 

27th North Carolina, in Walker's 
brigade, 24 n.; Cooke's brigade, 
97 n. 

27th Virginia, 197 n. 

26tli Alabama, under General 
Rains, 9 n.; in Rodes' brigade, 
89 n.; 146 

26th North Carolina, in Ransom's 
brigade, 13 n,; Pettigrew's bri- 
gade, 97 n. 

26th Virginia sent to join Holmes, 
24 n. 

23rd Georgia, General Rains in 
command, 9 n. 

23rd North Carolina Infantry, 
166 n. 



U 



Union Army, Official Records of, 

iii 
Unionville, line of march via, 337 
United States Military Institute, 

Whiting educated at, 264 n. 
Urbanna, enemy cross York River 

at, 100 



V 



Valley of Virginia, Jackson in, 6 n. ; 
Sigel in command in, 171 n.; 
Sheridan's raid through, 290 n. 

Vance, General Zebulon B., of 
North Carolina, 282 n. 

Vaughan, General George C, career 
of, 216 and note; attacks Federals 
at Blue Springs, 298; pursues 
Federals, 302; near Wytheville, 
309; report on Federal moves, 
338; report of scouts, 351 

Venable, Colonel Charles S., 219 
and note 

Verdon, Federals at, 200 

Vicksburg, accounts from, 98; Fed- 
eral ruse at, 142; Smith's corps 
embarks at, 254; troops land at, 

.337 . 

Virginia, 1864 campaign in, xxxi; 
General Smith as Governor of, 
42 n. ; relieved at Federals' defeat, 
62 n.; end of, campaign, 66 n.; 
General Smith resigns to become 
Governor of, 121; Whiting in, 
265 n.; 169 n., 173 

Virginia & Tennessee R.R., 168 n., 
180 n., 351 n. 

Virginia Central Railroad, Pope 
orders destruction of, 38 n.; 
Jackson's protection of, 56 n.; 
protection for, 85 n.; danger of 
losing, 191 n.; a main channel of 
communication, 197 n.; Federals 
at, 200; 178 n., 190 n., 202 n., 222 

Virginia Military Institute, Rodes 
a graduate of, 89 n. ; General 
Lane a graduate of, 116 n.; 197 n. 

Virginia, Valley of, vi 

Virginia, Western, campaign, 4 n. 



W 

Wafford in command at Atlanta, 341 
n. 

Waggaman, Colonel Eugene, of the 
loth Louisiana, 128 n. 

Walker, J., report of, 37 

Walker, James A., appointed suc- 
cessor to Gen. Paxton, 92 n. 

Walker, Brigadier-General J. G., 
joins Holmes, 23 n. 

Walker's brigade, reinforces Huger, 
14 n.; commander for, asked by 



398 



Index 



Lee, 24; General Taylor in com- 
mand of, 37 n. 

Walker's Stonewall brigade, John- 
son's division, 164 n. 

Wallace, General Lew, defeated by 
Early, 280 n.; defeated at Mon- 
ocacy, 283 

Walnut Grove Church, General A. 
P. Hill on road from, June 27, '62, 
18 

Walthall Junction, R. R. burned 
below, 254 n. 

Walton, Colonel J. B., 77, 77 n., 79, 
79 n. 

War Department, correspondence 
with, v; XXXV 

Ward, Major, reference to letter of, 

259 

Ward, Private Thomas Y., sen- 
tence on, remitted, 151 

Ware Bottom Church, Howlett's 
house by, 245 

Warren, General, Fifth Federal 
Corps under, 291 n.; Lee engages, 
356 n.;306 

Warren's corps attacks Pickett's 
division, 353 n. 

Warrentown, Pope reported at, 
July 25, '62, 37; Hne relieved, 
August 29, '62, 55 

Warships, Confederate, at James 
River, 176 n. 

Washington, Life of, cited, 162 n. 

Washington, number of men re- 
ported in, July 25, '62, 37; Pope 
in, 38 n.; "Army of Virginia" to 
defend, 38 n.; correspondence 
office established at, 142; regi- 
ments reach, 168; left with small 
guard, 199; Early to threaten, 
240 n.; 160 n., 184, 187, 199 n., 
220 n., 272 

Washington Artillery, 140 n. 

Washington College, D. H. Hill a 
professor in, 99 n. 

Watauga, Stoneman on the, 351 

Wateree, 337 

Waterloo, reference to, xviii 

Watts, General Thomas H,, 357 
and note, 358 

Weldon, Wood on way to, 275; 
346 

Weldon R. R., transportation of 
food on, 285; food from, 285; now 
Atlantic Coast Line, 285 n.; 
Federals get position on, 289; 



raid on, 291 n.; "Howlett line" 
on, 306 n.; 291 n., 326 n., 359 

Wessells, General, commander Fe- 
deral district, 98 

West Point, General Rains graduate 
of, 9 n. ; Anderson a graduate of, 
ion.; Huger a graduate of, 1 1 n. ; 
General B. H. Robertson a 
graduate of, 43 n. ; General Jones 
graduated at, 73 n. ; Elzey gradu- 
ated at, 79 n.; Edward Johnson 
a graduate of, 89 n.; R. S. Ewell 
a graduate of, 93 n. ; A. P, Hill a 
graduate of, 93 n. ; General Harry 
Heth a graduate of, 93 n.; Gen- 
eral Pender a graduate of, 94 n.; 
General French a graduate, 97 n. ; 
Robert Ransom, Jr., a graduate, 
97 n. ; D. H. Hill a graduate, 99 n. ; 
C. M. Wilcox a graduate, 116 n.; 
General J. M. Jones a graduate, 
120 n.; General Nichollsa gradu- 
ate, 127 n. ; Stewart a graduate, 
243 n. 

West Point, Va., connection with 
Richmond, 7 n.; reinforcements 
sent Hooker from, loi; Butler's 
fleet at, 207; 190 n. 

Western army, Featherston trans- 
ferred to, 9 n. 

Western Virginia, campaign, 4 n.; 
Colonel Imboden in, 50 n.; 
Pierpont government formed in, 
163 n, 

Westover, enemy's position at, 26; 
McClellan goes to, July i, '62, 
26 n. ; ancestral home of Colonel 
Byrd, 26 n.; Grant's army near, 
232; 46 n. 

Wharton, Colonel Gabriel C, joins 
Lee, 119; to succeed General J. 
M. Jones, 120; suggested by Lee 
as successor to General Smith, 
121; ready to move, 219 and 
note 

Wharton's brigade, ordered to join 
General Jones, 124; held in re- 
serve, 217 

Wheat's battery, Lee suggests com- 
mander for, 36 

Wheeler, 344 n. 

Wheeling, commonwealth organized 
in, 163 n. 

Wheeling Intelligencer, report from, 

331 

White, Major E. V., 72 n. 



Index 



399 



White, Private David W., sentence 
on, remitted, 152 

White's battaHon of General Jones' 
brigade, 72 n. 

White House, Smith's corps at, 
212 n.; Grant breaks base at, 
230 n.; troops reported at, 231. 
207, 234, 249, 263 

White Oak, Federals at, 336 

White Oak Road, 355, 359 

White Oak Swamp, McClellan at, 
4 n. ; Heth moved to, 239 

White Oak Swamp Bridge, Heth 
opposed at, 240 

Whiting, General William Henry 
Chase, biographical sketch of, 
in C. M. H., vi n.; petition 
concerning, ii; biography of, in 
C. M. H., 12 n.; and regiment 
join Jackson, 15 n.; report of 
New Bern in O. R., 137 n.; letters 
from, discussed by Lee, 263; 
career briefly outlined, 264 n.; 
relieved by Bragg, 310 n.; vi, 
275 

Wilcox, Brig.-General Cadmus M., 
suggested by Lee as successor to 
Pender, 115; 181 

Wilcox's division, at Long Bridge 
Road, 240; 119 n., 181 n. 

Wilcox's Landing, advance guard at, 
228 n.; some Federals at, 232; 234 

Wilderness, battle of, Jenkins mor- 
tally wounded at, 34 n. ; Jackson 
and Lee at, 88 n.; second, cam- 
paign, 166 n.; battles in, 176 n.; 
177 n.; battles of, effect of, 220 n. 

Wilderness Tavern, 166 

Williams, Colonel J, M., of 2nd 
Louisiana, 128 n. 

Williams, Lt. -Colonel John A., in 
charge at Howlett's, 257 

Williams, P., arrested by Con- 
federates, 162 and note 

Williamsburg, Colonel Forney 
wounded at, 121; Federals re- 
ported at, 277 

Williamsburg Road, skirmishing on, 
13, 14 n.; Lee's headquarters on, 
19; Lee occupies, June 27, '62, 20; 
General Magruder on, June, '62, 
21 ; General D. H. Hill ordered to, 
July 8, '62, 32 n. 

Williamsport, army near, July 10, 
'63, 103; Federals cross Potomac 
at, 287 



Williamston, Federal gunboats near, 

312 
Willis Church Road, cavalry at, 

239 
Wilmington, plan of defense for, 

69; Hagood's brigade called from, 

168 n.: G. W. C. Lee delayed in 

leaving, 279 n.; food from, 285; 

meat at, 308 and note; shortage of 

food at, 310; Bragg sent to, 310; 

loss 01, 318; Bragg leaving, 336; 

206 n., 263, 275 n., 293, 315 
Wilson, General, leaves plunder and 

retreats, 259 n.; raid on Selma, 

354 n- 

Wilson's corps, raid by, 290 n. 

Wilson's division transferred, 250 

Winchester, Jackson sent to Valley 
near, December, '62, 66 n.; 
General Rodes fatally wounded 
at, September 19, '64, 89 n.; 
Sam Jones sent to Lee at, 103 n.; 
Colonel Wharton ordered to, 
119 n.; railroad building at, 
145 n.; citizens complain of 
arrests, 162; arrests made in, 
162 n.; 313, 330 

Winder's division at battle of Cedar 
Run, August 9, '62, 53 n. 

Wise, General Henry A., sent to 
Chafins Bluff by Lee, 23 n.; 
report of, O. R., 24 n.; sends men 
to join Holmes, 24 n.; referred to, 
42 n.; 241 n. 

Wise, O. Jennings, editor Richmond 
Inquirer, 241 n. 

Wise's brigade, recalled from South 
Carolina, 169 n.; meets Smith's 
attack, 235 n. 

Withers, John, Assistant Adjutant- 
General, 125, 135 

Wood, Colonel John Taylor, plans 
to release prisoners, 269, 271 n.; 
expedition planned, 275; Lee's 
letter to, cited, 279 n.; 276 

Wood, Commander, Lee commends, 
136 

Wormsloe, the De Renne estate, 

XXXV 

Wright, Brigadier-General Ambrose 

R., command of, 181 n. 
Wright's brigade in Anderson's 

division, 33 n., 58 n. 
Wright's 6th Corps ordered to 

Washington, 272 n. 
Wytheville, Federals leave, 309 



400 



Index 



Yadkin, 351 

York, Colonel Z., of the 14th 

Louisiana, 128 n. 
York River, McClellan's connection 

with, severed by Lee's position, 

June 27, '62, 20; enemy cross, 

100; 193 n., 207 n. 
York River Railroad, 7 n. 



Yorktown, General Rains under 
JNIagruder at, 9 n.; reinforce- 
ments sent Hooker from, loi; 
Federals reported at, 277 

Young, General M. B., sent "to 
procure horses," 317 n. 

Young, Lieut. -Colonel P. M. B., in 
command Cobb's Legion, 71 n. 

Young's brigade, to join Butler, 317; 
140 n., 316 n. 



AUG -1 13'*'* 



